Former Hospital Site to be Transformed into Aged Care Precinct

A new aged care residence and wellness centre will soon be seeking recommendations from the people of East Fremantle as the $90 million redevelopment plan is assessed. 

The plan is currently under review by the WA Planning Commission’s State Development Assessment Unit (SDAU) to transform the former Woodside Hospital site in a new aged care precinct that will include high and low care accommodations for up to 160 residents, specialist palliative care, dementia care, disability care, and allied health services. 

The proposal includes a wellness centre that will be available to both aged care residents and local home-care clients.

Aged care provider Hall & Prior, has already updated its plans based on community feedback to address privacy concerns for close neighbours, including more basement parking, glazed windows, and increased setbacks.

Hall & Prior told Perth Now that the proposed care and services for elderly residents have health benefits, and the company wants to ensure that local home-care clients in the area can also share the benefits of the new Woodside Care Precinct. 

The proposal has been with the Town of East Fremantle for three years but the town did not initially allow the proposed wellness centre to be available to home-care clients, causing a delay in the approval process. 

Hall & Prior withdrew the proposal from the Joint Development Assessment Panel last month and sent it to the SDAU for assessment and advertising and the town is again being invited to provide information, comments, and/or recommend conditions for the development.

Mayor Jim O’Neill said that it would have been good to continue working with Hall & Prior, but they had the right to go to the SDAU. He added that the company is committed to providing a good facility, and the community needs aged care.