Plans have been approved for a new accessible childcare, allied health and NDIS-approved housing precinct in the Riverland.
Key points:
- The project will be built on empty land at the corner of Eighteenth and Para streets in Renmark
- It will have a focus on NDIS services, including eight standalone dwellings
- The Renmark Paringa Council hopes it will attract more permanent health professionals to the region
The Riverland Regional Assessment Panel gave the green light to the development, to be located on Eighteenth Street at Renmark, at a meeting last week.
It will include a childcare centre that will cater for up to 100 children, a 33-room allied health clinic and eight accessible dwellings for eligible NDIS recipients.
The childcare centre will cater to children with a disability and the allied health centre will be accessible for those living in the independent dwellings.
A cafe, kinder gym, hydrotherapy pool and common garden areas will also be included in the development, being led by Adelaide-based Evergreen Built.
Director Wayne Henry said the precinct would address a number of service shortages in the Riverland.
“If we start with the NDIS [housing], currently in the Riverland there’s a need for more than 20 housing outcomes, so we’re building eight of them to fill that gap,” he said.
“With the allied health, there’s going to be an expansion of services that don’t currently exist in the Riverland … and that includes tapping into the NDIS sector.
“This childcare is going to be unique in that we’re going to be providing NDIS services on the childcare side too.
Final concept plans underway
Mr Henry said construction would start in September and create 30 jobs during the build.
“We were anticipating we were going to have the approvals in place a little earlier — but I think every developer thinks that,” he said.
The development will be built on land previously owned by Renmark Paringa Council and will be located next to the civic centre.
Chief executive Tony Siviour said the council had been working with Evergreen Built and the new landowners on the development for the past year.
“The mixed-use development ticks many boxes for the Renmark Paringa and Riverland community in assisting in addressing the shortage of child care positions and NDIS housing options,” he said.
Mr Siviour said the health clinic would also provide a place for allied health students to complete placements in the region, in line with an agreement between the council and Flinders University to promote employment opportunities in the Riverland.
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