Bronwyn Pike (Minister for Health) and Sister Kath Tierney (Leader of the Melbourne Sisters of Mercy) meet at the site of the new home in Parkville

Mercy to build aged care home in Commonwealth Games Village

The State Minister for Health Bronwyn Pike and the Minister for Aged Care Gavin Jennings have announced that Mercy has been awarded the contract to construct and operate a 140 bed aged care facility and up to 52 assisted living units at the former Commonwealth Games Village in the Melbourne suburb of Parkville.

The Victorian Government has facilitated this project through the availability of the land at a concessional rate. Mercy Health and Aged Care won a public tender to secure the rights to plan and operate the development.

Barry O'Callaghan AO, Mercy Health & Aged Care's Chairman said, "We are very appreciative of the State Government's offer of part of the former Commonwealth Games Village site to build an aged care facility."

The new facility will help meet a growing demand for aged care, particularly for disadvantaged elderly people in inner and middle suburbs. The population of inner and middle Melbourne residents who are 85 years or older will increase by 21% between 2006 and 2011.

Designing and planning for our new facility will now start in earnest and it is anticipated the home and units will be completed by the end of 2008.