Cooktown will be the home of a new 40-bed aged care facility that will also cater for Hope Vale and Wujal Wujal residents.
COOK Shire Council will soon call for expressions of interest to build and operate a $24 million aged care facility in Cooktown, a year after a preliminary business case showing the need for more aged care services was released.
The proposed 40-bed facility will support the growing aged population of Cooktown, Hope Vale and Wujal Wujal to allow a dignified transition for local seniors from independent or supported living to high-care living.
“Council is fully supportive of the need for expanded aged care services in Cook Shire, and in partnership with Hope Vale and Wujal Wujal councils, has compiled a business case outlining a proposed regional aged care facility to be built in Cooktown,” Cook Shire mayor Peter Scott said.
At the June meeting, Cook Shire councillors voted to issue an expression of interest to identify potential options for future delivery of the project.
“The expressions of interest process is the next step in testing the market and identifying potential options for future delivery of this important regional project,” Cr Scott said.
The proposed facility would include provisions for dementia patients, residential respite care and co-location of independent residential dwellings, he said.
The case also includes plans for a $6.43 million community care facility to be built as a second stage, and provisions for staff accommodation that were not included in the $24 million cost estimate.
Cr Scott said Cook Shire had identified suitable centrally-located land that could be made available to proponents for the construction of the aged care facility.
