2021-12-13 GC Agenda - Item 8 -Attachment 1 - Housing Needs Assessment

undertaken annually and took into account the number of available places and the identified needs
of a particular planning region, as well as the merits of an application. It was intended that the
number of aged care places matched growth in the aged population using a national provision ratio
of 125 residential and home care places for every 1,000 people aged 70 years of age and over by
2021-22 (consisting of 80 places in a residential setting and 45 places in a home care setting).
Nationally, the rate of aged care places/recipients was 113 per 1000 older people at 30 June 2019,
but it was 110.8 for Queensland.
As part of the 2018–19 Budget More Choices for a Longer Life package, the Government provided
in-principle support to change how residential aged care places are allocated, based on the
recommendation of the Legislated Review of Aged Care 2017. Consequentially, the ACAR will be
discontinued when the 2020 round ends (The application period closed 18 March 2021).
From 1 July 2024, senior Australians will have residential care places allocated directly to them,
providing more choice and control over which approved provider delivers their care. New and
existing residential aged care providers will no longer apply for, and be allocated places. This is
designed to incentivize the delivery of high quality, innovative models of care.
PwC Australia61 has suggested the operators of aged care homes need to evolve and rethink their
delivery models. This includes ensuring their infrastructure is human-centred and fit for purpose,
meeting consumers increasing expectations with embedded quality and safety design. Many aged
care residences are nearing the end of their life, and the cost of bringing them up to contemporary
expectations is high. This comes at a time when operators have reduced capacity for capital
investments. They suggest that while there are still investors looking to venture into aged care the
royal commission and COVID-19 has left some potential stakeholders wary. There is now an
emerging trend for integrated retirement communities where residents live independently until they
require care within their home, thereby having a continuum of care within the one complex.


13.4        Benchmarking aged care
Briggs & Mortar, in the 2017 Housing Needs Assessment, found there were just four residential aged
care facilities in Noosa Shire with operational places (at 30 June 2015). Since then, Arcare gained
development approval and subsequently constructed an aged care facility at Goodchap Street
Noosaville, opposite Noosa Hospital. The 90 places became operation in January 2021.
For the purpose of benchmarking residential aged care places, there were 629 operational places at
January 2021. Refer Table 40.
In 2018/19, 52 places were allocated to the Lutheran Church of Australia for new dementia and
palliative care service proposed as Black Mountain Care Farm, at 521 Elm Street, Black Mountain.
A development application was lodged for an aged care facility in June 2019 but was withdrawn in
October that year. It is anticipated these places may not eventuate.
Palm Lakes Care has approval for residential care (120 beds) at Cooroy integrated with the Palm
Lakes Resort. It suggests the facility will be open by September 2022, however no building works
have commenced to date.
Sundale Tewantin has a current development approval for a 60 bed aged care facility within its
proposed Retirement Village at Tewantin, however places have not been allocated to this facility.
Construction of this facility commenced however with the outbreak of COVID19 the additional
pressure placed on aged care providers has forced Sundale to halt works at this site. It continues to
market “Bella Noosa” at McKinnon Drive however it holds no allocated care places for it.
Blue Care has development approval for a 118 bed aged care facility at Grass Tree Court, Sunrise
Beach, but again no places have been allocated. In 2020 an extension to the approval was granted


61“Innovation, optimisation and renovation in aged care: Building for the future of Australia’s aged care
environments”


Noosa Housing Needs Assessment 2021                                                            Page 110