Harbison Burradoo's Stage 2 construction will commence in 2025 following the receipt of a Federal Government grant of $27.5 million – the largest grant in the latest funding round.
"We are thankful and grateful for the grant, which will allow us to achieve the next stage of our vision for improving how people age in the Southern Highlands and Illawarra Shoalhaven," said David Cochran, Chief Executive Officer of Harbison.
"We will commence work next year on a new and modern 72 bed residential aged care facility and dementia respite service to replace the old hostel which was built in the 1950s and has been closed since 2023.
"This project will create far more than 50 full-time equivalent local skilled jobs, improve access to well-organised healthcare, and address the critical shortage of residential aged care in our super ageing community," said Mr Cochran.
Harbison has operated in the Southern Highlands for over 60 years. Stage 1 of the masterplan, a new residential dementia care service, was opened by Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC, Governor of New South Wales, in 2020, and won the Excellence in Aged Care award from the Urban Development Institute of Australia NSW in 2021.
"Stage 2 is the next step in a 10-year plan known as Harbison 2034 to meet the needs of older people and people living with dementia, and support healthy, productive, longer lives," said Mr Cochran.
The funding is from the December round of the Aged Care Capital Assistance Program (ACCAP) which provided $250 million in funding for 52 projects to improve regional, rural and remote aged care facilities.
Member for Whitlam, Stephen Jones MP today presented the Federal Government's $27.5 million grant, and in doing so echoed the Federal Government's commitment to ensuring that older Australians have access to safe and quality aged care services, no matter where they choose to live.
