Real Estate
30 October, 2025
New era for care
A 42-bedroom elders village at Bungalow is to be rebuilt on a new site with the help of $27.5 million from the Australian Government.
To boost access to high quality residential aged care and housing for aged care workers outside of major cities, the government is spending $300 million in the latest round of the Aged Care Capital Assistance Program (ACCAP).
That includes $30m in the electorate of Leichhardt to ensure older locals can gain access to world-class aged care by funding two key opportunities.
They are:
$27.5million for the Blue Care Hollingsworth Elders Village to rebuild the current 42-bed home at a new location
$2.3m for the Cooktown Multipurpose Health Service to refurbish the existing residential wing and replace the roof.
Aged Care and Seniors Minister Sam Rae said the government was supporting more older Australians in Leichhardt “to age with dignity in the communities they know and love, regardless of where they live”.
“Labor’s $300 million funding boost is the single largest aged care infrastructure investment by any federal government,” he said.
“ACCAP has now provided almost a billion dollars to help rebuild our aged care system after a decade of neglect.
“This wonderful announcement will deliver $30 million in capital funding to ensure older locals in Leichhardt get the quality care they deserve.”
Member for Leichhardt Matt Smith said upgrades to the Cooktown Multipurpose Health Centre and a complete rebuild of the Hollingsworth Elders Village “will support older locals to access quality aged care services while remaining close to their families and cultural connections”.
“We are addressing the growing demand for aged care in Leichhardt by focusing on improving quality and access to the world-class services every older Australian deserves,” he said.
“Older people play such an important role in our community and it is essential they are provided the very best in aged care.
“People want to grow old where they were young and this investment allows Australians to do just that.”
A BlueCare spokeswoman said the funding would support the redevelopment of Pinangba Hollingsworth Elders Village – “a significant step forward in our mission to deliver culturally safe, high-quality aged care for First Nations Elders in Cairns”.
“The redevelopment will take place on nearby land already owned by UnitingCare Queensland and will not impact current services at Hollingsworth during construction,” she said.
“It’s an exciting opportunity to reimagine the future of this important facility.
“We are committed to engaging closely with residents, their families and the community as we move through the planning and delivery phases – at the right time and in a respectful and meaningful way.
“Our current focus is on working through the necessary final approvals and confirming timelines for the project.”
