Tuesday, 24 May 2022

Numurkah Pioneers Memorial Lodge

Ms LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (17:39): (1922) My adjournment matter is directed to the Minister for Health and concerns funding to redevelop NCN Health’s Numurkah Pioneers Memorial Lodge. The action that I seek is for the minister to commit funding towards a redevelopment of NCN Health’s Numurkah Pioneers Memorial Lodge to ensure the delivery of high-class residential aged care services for the Numurkah and district community.

The health services of Nathalia, Cobram and Numurkah voluntarily amalgamated to become NCN Health in July 2019. NCN Health provides a range of health services across the Moira shire at campuses in each of the three towns, including emergency care theatre services, dental health, GP services, community health and residential aged care. The health service has four residential aged care facilities across three campuses: Banawah Nursing Home in Nathalia, Irvin House Residential Aged Care in Cobram and Numurkah Pioneers Memorial Lodge and Karinya Nursing Home, both in Numurkah.

The NCN Health board of directors, management and staff are committed to continuing to deliver quality residential aged care services across the Moira shire but recognise the need to complete a redevelopment of the Numurkah Pioneers Memorial Lodge facility. Numurkah Pioneers Memorial Lodge has 34 permanent residents as well as two respite beds and two transitional care beds for hospital patients who need support before going home. While the dedicated staff continue to provide exceptional care for the residents, the facility itself is outdated and requires a full redevelopment, which has been costed at approximately $20 million. The redevelopment of the lodge is a high-priority infrastructure project for NCN Health, and it was hoped that funding for the project would have been included in this year’s state budget. Unfortunately no such funding was provided in the budget for the project, and NCN Health are committed to lobbying the state government to secure the funding required.

The residents of Numurkah deserve an aged care facility that will ensure they have a safe and secure living environment in their later years. I urge the minister to work constructively with the board of directors of NCN Health and the CEO, Jacque Phillips, and provide funding to ensure the redevelopment of the Numurkah Pioneers Memorial Lodge becomes a reality.