Date: 9 July 2018

Whiddon are delighted to announce that our Temora aged care home in the Riverina will receive $3.68M in federal funding to support the extension of the home and its care services.

Whiddon are delighted to announce that our Temora aged care home in the Riverina will receive $3.68M in federal funding to support the extension of the home and its care services.

The Nationals’ Member for Riverina and Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack announced the funding package this morning as part of the Federal Government’s Building Better Regions Fund infrastructure projects.

The $3.68M grant, which will account for around 25% of the total project cost, will, along with Whiddon’s investment of over $11M allow us, as a not-for-profit provider, to make a viable investment in the community and expand the aged care offering in the region.

“The Whiddon Group has a long and proud history of providing quality care to older people in the Temora region. We continue to experience demand for complex aged care services in the region and we are genuinely overjoyed to have been successful in receiving funding through the Building Better Regions Fund to support the expansion of our home in Temora. This is so important for our residents, our local team and the local community and what we have achieved today follows five years of hard work, standing side by side with the community, the Temora Shire Council, our local member and many other valued supporters ” shared Whiddon CEO, Mr Chris Mamarelis.

The project is an exciting one for the Temora community, with 50 new aged care places from the 2016-2017 Aged Care Allocations Round to be operationalised in the new building to meet the needs of our local community. The new wing will see both single and companion rooms with ensuite bathrooms developed, along with dedicated high care accommodation, across a two-storey building, along with a new education centre for training, two dementia secure outdoor courtyards and expanded back of house services. The growth of the service will further support the local community, with 40 full-time equivalent positions created, with 15 positions nominated to support Indigenous employment. In addition to this, the construction project is expected to generate a significant number of new jobs and boost the local economy today and into the future.

“The project will bring many benefits to the region, including new employment opportunities, support for people with dementia and high care needs, and upgraded and expanded residential aged care facilities to support an ageing population. The investment in the Temora home reinforces Whiddon’s commitment to regional, rural and remote Australia and supports our ethos of ensuring older people can access the highest quality of care in the communities that they know, love and call home”.

“I would like to personally thank Cr Rick Firman of the Temora Shire Council for his ongoing support and tireless work in advocating for the Temora community, along with the Member for Riverina and Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack, and importantly our local team, residents and families who have provided the inspiration to keep fighting for this project and the funding grant,” Mr Mamarelis said.