2019-03-12 Planning & Environment Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                           12 MARCH 2019




                    Figure 7: 3 storey component of Central Facilities and ILA building


Yield and Density
In terms of the deletion of the serviced apartments and the increase of the independent living
apartments the applicant advises:
…the 20 serviced apartments approved above the central community facility are proposed to be
reduced to a yield of 15 and converted to ILAs. This is as a result of a change in care model over
the past 10 years whereby serviced apartments are no longer required as a specific product as
per the following:
   In-home care has replaced the need for serviced apartments. BlueCare (and other
     providers) are able to deliver care to residents of the ILA’s in their home whereas
     previously, residents that required a ‘low care option’, i.e. the serviced apartments, were
     located in one area only. BlueCare can now effectively deliver that ‘low care’ option to all
     residents throughout the retirement village. So whilst BlueCare are technically removing 20
     serviced apartments it can be argued that we are in effect enabling up to 122 retirement
     dwellings, with up to two residents in each unit the same level of service so the use is not
     being lost or removed from the development, it is just being delivered via a different model.
     Low care is provided on a user needs and provides service directly into their existing
     accommodation allowing for couples to remain together and residents to age in place for
     longer.
   The RAC accommodation is soley for ‘High care’ wherein the average age upon entry is
     currently 82 years old and residents are no longer able to look after themselves in their own
     accommodation.
   It is our opinion that the conversion of serviced apartments to ILAs constitutes a minor
     change to the proposal as the ILU / ILA residents of the retirement can elect to have some
     level of care / assistance provided or are able to request no assistance whatsoever– similar
     to that of a serviced apartment 10 years ago. We also note that the number of dwellings
     has not increased and that the changes are in the centre of site so no change to the
     interface with neighbours will result as a consequence of this change.
The deletion of the serviced apartments and increase of the independent living apartments is
supported as it is reflective of the changed care model which BlueCare now provides. The
inclusion of the serviced apartments was not a requirement of the planning scheme when the
initial application was assessed. Notwithstanding, the current BlueCare model now allows for all
residents within the Multiple Housing Type 3 – Retirement and Special needs component of the
development to be provided with a level of ‘in-home’ care.
Whilst 2 respite beds are being removed from the Aged Care Facility the applicant advises that
all aged care beds within the facility will now be suitable for respite care. The development will
therefore continue to provide care options ranging from low care to high care.

                                                                                           Page 27 of 116