Land tax exemption for facility construction

Supporting senior Victorians to live active and independent lives is the key focus of a $155.5 million Brumby Labor Government boost for seniors in the 2010 State Budget handed down on 4 May, the Minister for Senior Victorians, Lisa Neville, says.

Senior Victorians will also be assisted by reforms to extend the land tax holiday for companies establishing aged care facilities – a measure designed to encourage more aged care and disability facilities to be built.

Ms Neville said the Brumby Labor Government was committed to supporting senior Victorians to maintain their independence while being able to access the care and support they need.

“The Brumby Labor Government is committed to delivering better services for seniors with additional funding for home help and personal alert units, as well as assisting to meet future demand for residential aged care places.”

The 2010 State Budget package for senior Victorians includes:

• $66.7 million over five years for Home and Community Care (HACC) services, which include home maintenance, medical appointment transport, meals, personal care and allied health and nursing care;
• $25.8 million to redevelop acute, primary health and residential aged care facilities at the Coleraine Hospital, delivering 10 acute care beds, 27 residential beds, primary care and emergency service area in a new purpose-built facility to be colocated and closely linked to a refurbished Mackie Court (24 low care beds);
• $500 000 for Men’s Sheds, which help to put men in contact with community services by providing places for men where they can make new friends, talk things over, learn new skills, receive important information about a range of health issues and get involved in their local community;
• $2.8 million over four years to create a more accessible Victorian Seniors Card website and to provide better information about discounts and special offers for seniors;
• $2.5 million for stage five of the Aged Care Land Bank to help establish more residential aged care services in the middle and inner-ring suburbs by helping not-for-profit aged care providers access surplus government land;
• $1.2 million over two years to bring forward the delivery of an additional  1,000 personal alarms for vulnerable Victorians. These alarms provide frail, older Victorians with a 24 hour a day contact which allows them to continue to live independently.

The 2010 State Budget also delivers a land tax exemption for the construction phase of retirement villages, residential aged care facilities, supported residential services and residential services for people with disabilities.

The Treasurer, John Lenders, said the $28 million exemption will reduce the cost of developing these facilities and help improve the accessibility and affordability of suitable care and accommodation for Victoria’s seniors.

“We are giving land tax relief to encourage new aged care facilities to be built, to give senior Victorians the opportunity to live closer to their families,” Mr Lenders said.

Ms Neville said two new teams of mental health workers, costing $4.9 million over four years, will provide intensive clinical treatment and support in the homes of older Victorians who are suffering significant mental illness and are acutely unwell. The aim of this program is, where possible, to avoid admission to hospital and allow the person to remain at home.

The new staff will work with around 140 older Victorians in their homes each year and the service will be delivered through selected aged persons mental health services in Melbourne and in rural Victoria. Aged intensive clinical teams currently operate in Barwon, Gippsland, Southern and Eastern Area Mental Health Services.

Ms Neville said the 2010 State Budget included an extra $56 million over four years to help low-income Victorians with the rising cost of water to build Victoria’s vital water infrastructure.

“The Brumby Labor Government has taken the tough decisions to build a desalination plant and invest in our water grid to secure the State’s water supply and the lifestyle of Victorian families,” Ms Neville said.

“Concessions for water bills for low-income earners have been increased to help offset the rise in water bills to fund Victoria’s vital water infrastructure projects.

“Melbourne’s water prices have traditionally been very low compared to other states and we expect the cost of water will remain among the lowest of any major Australian city into the future.”