Work underway on $27 million Wagga Wagga aged care transformation
Work will commence this month on the redevelopment of aged care home BaptistCare Caloola Centre in Wagga Wagga, with local builder Lipman leading a locally-sourced construction team to renew the aged care centre.
Scroll to Explore
The construction milestone was marked with 86-year old Caloola resident, Louis de Kort, turning the first sod alongside Wagga Wagga City Council Mayor, Councillor Greg Conkey, and the teams from BaptistCare and Lipman.
Designed to provide the best residential care now and into the future, the new Caloola Centre will provide a homelike care environment, allowing residents to participate in community activities at their own pace. The modern and purpose-built environment will also provide ongoing employment for care, administrative and hospitality staff across the centre.
“It is always a great sign to see development taking place in the city which continues to grow as a major regional centre in NSW,” Cr. Conkey said.
“There are many benefits to the local economy but most importantly this redevelopment will provide more options for our elderly population.”
“This facility has a long history of more than 40 years in Wagga Wagga so it is fantastic to see it being earmarked for a significant upgrade which is a great show of commitment from the owners in Wagga Wagga and the wider region. Congratulations on the project and the investment back into the facility and also the city,” he said.
BaptistCare has appointed Lipman as the builder for the redevelopment, which will feature 80 contemporary single resident rooms with private bathrooms. The home will be divided into 5 households of 16 rooms, with each household having its own family room, dining room, kitchen and multiple breakout spaces.
A new café will provide a shared space for residents, families and visitors to connect, and the home has been designed to meet new stringent infection control benchmarks.
Well known for its green spaces, the new Caloola Centre will make the best use of the land with extensive gardens, walkways and undercover outside areas for residents to enjoy.
“Transforming aged care is as much about the focus on resident care and wellbeing as it is around how a physical building can make someone feel comfortable and at home,” said BaptistCare CEO, Charles Moore.
“It’s also important that buildings allow our care staff to work optimally through innovative building design, while technology continues to play a key role in functional and efficient care delivery in our home.”
“We know our residents and their families are just as excited about this next phase for Caloola, and we can’t wait to bring it to life for our residents, staff and of course the local community, with our builders Lipman,” said Mr Moore.
Rob MacKee, Lipman’s CEO said: “Lipman is thrilled to be selected as the design and construction partner to deliver the Caloola Centre. Since 2014 we’ve successfully delivered a range of high quality aged care, retirement living, and social and affordable housing assets for BaptistCare thoughout New South Wales. We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the BaptistCare team again.”
“Wherever we work in regional NSW, we are proud to engage local staff and local contractors for our projects as we endeavour to maximise the benefits to local communities.”
The existing Caloola Centre will remain open while construction takes place around the existing building to deliver the new home, with residents able to relocate to their new home in early 2023.
Lipman is an Australian family-owned commercial builder that has operated throughout New South Wales for more than 55 years. Their clients have trusted them to build some of the state’s most outstanding buildings, including a wide range of aged care facilities.
BaptistCare Caloola Centre is one of BaptistCare’s oldest homes and was officially opened to the Wagga community in 1979.
Caption - Resident Louis de Kort, Caloola Residential Manager Melissa Noble, CEO Lipman Mr Rob MacKee, CEO BaptistCare Charles Moore and Mayor Greg Conkey OAM