Barwo Homestead committee president Wayne Limbrick has worked hard with his team to secure a future for the building. Photo by Rechelle Zammit
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
Three years after Nathalia’s Barwo Homestead’s voluntary closure, a planning application has been submitted to Moira Shire Council, with the committee determined to breathe new life into the building.
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The former 20-bed aged care facility shut down following the implementation of new requirements regarding the amount of registered nurses on site at all times after COVID-19.
Due to housing generally low-care patients, Barwo had only two nurses employed, and despite a period of advertising for more positions, was unsuccessful in hiring more.
Additionally, a lot of the residents had aged, and were beginning to require more care.
All of these things, and a desire to preserve the building and assets, led the committee to the decision to close the doors.
However, it was agreed that the mission to provide affordable aged-care accommodation in Nathalia would continue.
“We decided that the risk for the committee of management and the facility was too high to have potentially high-care residents with no registered nurses on staff,” Barwo committee president Wayne Limbrick said.
“Once we made that decision, we found places for all our residents (in) ... other facilities in the Goulburn Valley, and from what I know, all our staff were able to find alternative employment.”
Behind newly closed doors, the board got to work finding a new solution.
“We spent most of last year, from about March onwards, looking at all sorts of options,” Mr Limbrick said.
“We made a decision to redevelop the existing building.”
Should the application pass, the redevelopments will see the original 20 rooms converted in to 11 individual living units.
Each will consist of a bedroom, a kitchenette, a bathroom and a lounge space, and all will be designed as low-cost rental accommodation with older residents in mind.
The original building’s large entertainment and lounge space, massive dining room and commercial kitchen will continue to be maintained, with the goal being to open them as community spaces to provide social and recreational services for tenants.
The large kitchen is one of the assets the committee hopes to use to provide services for unit residents. Photo by Rechelle Zammit
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
The shared lounge and dining area will be turned into a community room for people to come for meals and entertainment. Photo by Rechelle Zammit
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
Mr Limbrick said demand for the accommodation to remain older-person focused was evident in community feedback.
“In Nathalia, like a lot of small towns over Australia, the population is ageing,” he said.
“Certainly, the feedback we’ve had from the community is really positive. We’ve had a few inquiries already on potential tenants.
“If there’s enough (older residents) initially to fill the 11 apartments, that’s to be seen.
“However, in the short term, we won’t restrict who will be put in there, but will definitely prioritise the older residents.”
Meanwhile, a second stage planning permit seeks permission to build 13 free-standing units on the site around the existing building.
The units would be built as demand grew, and would be low-cost and designed for older tenants.
“There’s quite a few units being built in town now, which are open for everyone. They are low-cost housing, which we (Nathalia) definitely need,” Mr Limbrick said.
“While those projects help fill that gap, we really want to tailor our (project) for the older generation who might want a smaller space and a secure place with people and the hospital close by, but don’t yet need to move into a home.”
The estimated cost of the new development is around $5 million.
As the building is not government-owned, the committee will continue to work with locals, businesses and government programs to secure grants and funding.
If things proceed as expected, with the planning permit granted, stage one refurbishments are expected to be completed by 2025.
More information, and the planning application, is available for viewing on the Moira Shire Council website.
