Proposed aged-care facility angers residents
Mon 14 May 2007
Jenny Hammer, Journalism
Residents living in a quiet Buderim estate have told council they strongly oppose plans to build an aged-care facility in their area.
Lynd Court, a cul-de-sac in the Timberdale estate has been earmarked to house a 120-bed facility and residents said they were worried the quality of their lifestyle would be reduced if the development was allowed to go ahead.
Nicole Stewart said the extra traffic generated from the proposed aged-care home would impact on the quiet environment and could jeopardise the safety of children who played in the court.
“Most of us who live in the court have small children and its very worrying that the extra traffic and of course the many construction vehicles that will be needed, could endanger our children’s lives. The safety of the children is paramount,” Mrs Stewart said.
David Kane, who also lives in the estate, said if the home was built traffic flow in the court would rise dramatically.
“This home will have 120 beds, which is a big nursing home. They will have to employ many people who will all need to get to and from the facility. Add that to existing residents and I estimate close to 400 cars will pass on a daily basis,” he said.
Mr Kane said aged-care homes were important in the community, but they needed to be located in appropriate areas.
Councillor Christian Dickson supported residents and was not in favour of an aged-care facility of that size being built in Lynd Court.
“The council is siding with the residents in regards to the issue of the proposed facility. I am in support of aged-care facilities, but just not in this area,” Cr Dickson said.
“The developers need to realise the estate is simply not big enough to sustain the load.”
Cr Dickson said a town planner would review the proposal at the next council meeting. It would be at that time a decision would be made whether Timberdale is big enough to maintain a development of that type.
The application for the facility had been lodged by the Regis Group, one of Australia’s largest private aged care providers. It declined to comment on the proposed facility.
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