Government looking for private developer of seniors village

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR
 
Sir – We are looking for a private proponent to develop and operate a senior’s lifestyle accommodation village in Alice Springs.  
 
They are for seniors who are capable of living independently. Villages offer independence and flexibility, residents can travel regularly and maintain an active and social lifestyle.
 
The Territory Government has identified a potential site for the development, 2.5 kilometres from the Alice Springs CBD on the northern side of the spectacular MacDonnell Ranges in the premier residential area of Mount Johns.
 
However, proponents will have the opportunity to identify other sites as part of the Expressions of Interest process.
 
Dale Wakefield
Minister for Territory Families and Member for Braitling
 
 
 

5 COMMENTS

  1. This proposed location is a bit too reminiscent of the “out of sight, out of mind” attitude to seniors.
    Seniors are likely to be restricted in their mobility, and perhaps unable to drive, or not own a car.
    The area is without shops, doctors, pharmacies and all the other facilities seniors may need. And others they may want, like the cinema, library, cafes etc.
    The perfect area for a seniors village would be the area currently occupied by the railway yards. Move them out to the industrial area where they belong (an idea I first proposed as a Candidate for Town Council in 1989).
    The village should be single story (of course), medium density, perhaps “terrace style” with a decent outside living area, correct orientation, passive thermal efficiency, and relatively modest cost.

  2. At least the village isn’t right on the edge of town in far west Larapinta in Stirling Heights.
    Why one was built there seven kilometres away from the centre of Alice Springs CBD beats me. The only good thing is the place would be quiet.
    At least the proposed village would be only 3.5kms to the centre of town (via Barrett Drive).
    The site beside the Stuart Highway and the railway in my opinion is better off being used as a new entrance to the railway station for the Ghan with community uses.
    As much as it having a more centralised feel for retirement, you’d hope that people would put up with trucks passing through at night or drunks walking past, sitting around loitering etc.
    Sure, having a new train station entrance will also attract such issues but at least no ones homes will be smashed up.
    I reckon the old Memo site would be a better place for a retirement centre. Close to town but not next to a four lane highway with extra traffic on it.
    Either that or put it in a multi-storey form on the Melanka site or on the Todd Mall. In fact there needs to be more people living in town above shops to increase eyes on the streets.
    In cities around the world you can still achieve liveable neighbourhoods without the massive crowds and where you have people living and working on site you also see less undesirables sticking around.
    Multi story buildings already exist and I am not talking about the glass monster, I am talking about the Aurora Hotel. You can put cafes on the ground floor, office or commercial space on the next level, then have two to three stories of apartments above.
    You can then have trees that hide the uglier extents of the buildings and complement them with shade. I used to work in urban design and I would be happy to get into a discussion with anyone interested in what could work in Alice Springs to reduce crime whilst making the town feel safer simply through the way the town is developed.
    You can’t blame crime solely on certain people hanging around town running amuck and breaking things, vandalism etc, but if you don’t do anything about changing the urban feel nothing will change.

  3. Word association, say the word village and idiot springs to mind.
    As Charlie says, this is the wrong site for all the stated reasons. In addition, when the Todd flows the oldies will be completely isolated.
    Now on to the idiot part. The government wants some bunny to invest in a failing economy, in a place that does not have the same financial focus as Darwin?
    Perhaps Centrecorp may take it on.
    Outsourcing facilities like this only ends in grief for the customer. Take a look at Lendlease and the retirement villages.

  4. What happened to Steve Brown’s seniors proposal at White Gums?
    Subdivision of land was approved on the basis of this proposal.

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