Minister for Housing, Disability and Ageing, Martin Foley, today officially opened a new state-of-the-art residential aged-care facility on the site of the former St Vincent’s Boys’ Orphanage in South Melbourne.
Local not-for-profit organisation Claremont and South Port Community Aged Care (CaSPA Care) transformed part of the former orphanage in Napier Street into Emerald Hill Residence, a modern 146-bed residential aged care facility.
As part of the Aged Care Land Bank initiative, a previous Labor Government reserved this ideal spot specifically for a new aged-care facility to help meet the future demands of an ageing population in the inner South of Melbourne.
The initiative secured sites like the former St Vincent’s Boys’ Orphanage, recognising that soaring property prices in Melbourne’s inner and middle ring suburbs limited the development of new, not-for-profit aged care facilities.
New residential aged-care facilities were mainly being built in Melbourne’s outskirts, meaning older inner-city residents would need to move far away from home when they needed care.
Thanks to this forward thinking, inner South residents can now access additional high-quality residential aged care places in their local community for many years to come.
The Andrews Labor Government has leased the historic site to CaSPA Care, who funded the Emerald Hill Residence. The City of Port Phillip also contributed $3 million towards the project.
CaSPA Care was formed by the merger of Claremont Home and South Port Community Nursing Home, who both have a long and proud history of providing quality aged-care services in South Melbourne. The initiative shows how the Government partnering with providers can help win better outcomes for the community.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Housing, Disability and Ageing Martin Foley
“Our ageing population is increasing. The Andrews Labor Government believes we need to better plan ahead for our future.”
“Elderly people shouldn’t have to move out of the area they live in to access care. Governments need to be forward thinking and secure land for quality residences.”
“Labor secured the land for this aged-care facility. Now that it’s built, the inner South community will have aged care facilities for many years to come.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020