Aged care battle still on

YARRA Ranges Shire and residents of Prospect Road in Wandin North have re-stated their opposition to a proposed aged care development despite amendments to the proposal.
The original proposal, which included 47 semi independent aged-care units and a 73 bed assisted aged care facility, was refused by the council in April.
The applicant, CH Architects, acting on behalf of D and A Stambolis, lodged an appeal with the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) and the matter is listed for hearing on Wednesday, 6 September.
The current proposal, to be considered by VCAT, replaces the 47 units with 56 and three single storey two bedroom houses and does away with the 73 bed nursing home component.
Bruce Wood, a neighbouring property owner and one of 26 objectors, said the amendments still failed to address the fact that the proposal was a massive overdevelopment of the site and that Wandin did not have the infrastructure to support it.
“Wandin was one of a number of Yarra Ranges townships identified in recent media as having a shortage of doctors,” Mr Wood said.
“On that basis alone it is not suitable,” he said.
Cr Graham Warren supports the view put by Mr Wood.
“It has gone down a level but it is still too large a facility for that road.
“We need to encourage good quality aged care but this is just in the wrong spot,” he told the Mail.
Cr Warren said the amendments had not addressed a number of concerns, including the ability of the rural roads to cater for the increased demand and of future residents’ ability to access the township.
The allocation of 19 car spaces was also considered to be insufficient with a more realistic number put at 29 spaces.
Mr Wood told the Mail, however, that he was not confident of a positive outcome at VCAT.
“The Government wishes to divest itself of aged care and is seeking private enterprise to fill the gap,” he said.
“VCAT is a government authority and the question is, do they treat aged care in a different way to other applications.”
Cr Warren said he believed the shire had a strong case but also expressed some reservations.
“VCAT is a real role of the dice at the best of times,” he said.
“They approved Time Life (another retirement facility in the area) and now they (the developers) can’t get people to go there.
“While it’s always a concern as to how VCAT will see these things, we have a very firm view on this and are very determined to see that the right decision is made,” he said.