WITH employee accommodation a major challenge in attracting aged care staff to regional areas, those in charge of Leongatha’s Woorayl Lodge are delighted to be receiving State Government funding to alleviate that problem locally.
The project will provide 14 residences with a total of 25 bedrooms alongside the McCartin Street based Lodge, the government providing around $2 million, with a substantial but not yet disclosed contribution from Woorayl Lodge.
Upper House Member for Eastern Victoria Tom McIntosh visited the Lodge on Monday, chatting to staff, board members and South Gippsland Shire Council representatives.
The government contribution is from the Regional Worker Accommodation Fund.
“It’s dealing with the issue of employers in our regions being unable to get workforce housed,” Tom said, noting the importance of getting the staff needed to support aged care residents and enable them to remain in their community.
Tom highlighted the fact that some of the Woorayl Lodge residents were born on the site when it was a hospital, now returning in the later stages of their lives.
As well as providing housing for aged care workers and potentially other providers of essential services in town, the planned development will alleviate some of the
pressure on the broader housing sector locally.
“It’s a double win, where you can get staff into care for locals but free up houses for local families,” Tom said.
Woorayl Lodge Board Chair Linda Fiddelaers explained the broader significance of the planned worker accommodation, saying it will assist plans for growth.
That ties in with the intended Boags Road development that will eventually replace the current Lodge.
The Boags Road project will ultimately provide more aged care places locally, but is awaiting the securing of required Federal Government funding.
The support of South Gippsland Shire Council was required to secure the State Government funding towards the worker accommodation, due to the conditions of the grant.
Council’s Director of Strategy and Partnerships, Christian Stefani, remarked that its support of the initiative is consistent with its Economic Development Strategy and Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan.
“This project supports all those caveats that relate to promoting growth, local employment and supporting people in health services and aged care,” he said, praising Woorayl Lodge’s Co-CEO’s Andrew Ross and Jaimee Brydon and the members of the Board for leading the project.