New assisted living units coming to Vic Surf Coast after $1 land sale

A new development of 10 to 12 assisted living units is on the way in Winchelsea, Victoria, after Surf Coast Shire Council sold the necessary land for a nominal sum of $1.

The units in Winchelsea, 110km west of Melbourne and 37km west of Geelong, will be used by seniors and people with disabilities with the goal of helping them stay local, as there is currently a lack of suitable affordable village accommodation in town.

The Council-owned land, once owned by the Church of England, was sold to local registered charity Winanglo Incorporated for the project, which will be managed by Hesse Rural Health.

“In essence, people will be able to buy a lifetime usage right which will cover the cost of the building. On departure, the unit will be revalued and any capital gain goes to the family,” the organisation says on its website.

According to Councillor Adrian Schonfelder, 250 supportive letters were received during the consultation process, as well as four positive submissions from community groups and proponents.

“We also ran a community survey, and of the 58 responses between 75 to 88 per cent were in favour of the different aspects of the proposal given the need for this type of housing,” he said.

The $1 sale has a number of conditions attached, including completion within a “reasonable timeframe” and continued use of the land for shire-based seniors or people with disabilities.