Ray of hope for Eastern Suburbs seniors

While the Benevolent Society’s elderly housing project continues to attract controversy, seniors hope Bondi will soon become a model of aged care in the Eastern Suburbs.

The Apartments for Life project on Ocean Street has suffered numerous setbacks since it was first mooted in 2007, meeting with opposition from residents and Waverley Council dragging its feet on development applications.

The Apartments for Life project plans to include a day centre, meeting rooms, workshops and an Internet cafe, giving residents and other Bondi seniors “a vibrant social hub” that is still severely lacking in other suburbs.

In Rose Bay, for instance, after a decade-long wait seniors have begun to question when Woollahra Council will make good on promises of a new community centre.

“We were promised a community centre 10 years ago but nothing’s been done about it,” said Maureen Clark, president of the Rose Bay Residents Association.

“These people are so old they could hardly get on a bus. They just want a place where they can stop to meet people and have a cup of tea.”

The community centre was first approved in 1999 under a plan to redevelop private land in Rose Bay. Proposals came into force in 2000, when a 100-metre site on Wilberforce Avenue was designated for development. That site is still vacant.

Mrs Clark said a community centre was needed to provide seniors with recreational facilities and activities, in a concept similar to the Apartments for Life project.

A Woollahra Council spokesperson said the council was looking at converting existing buildings into a community centre or building a new council-run facility. No date was given on when a decision would be made.

“There have been a number of requests for upgrades to facilities and the new community centre at Rose Bay, therefore a study considering the whole municipality is necessary,” the spokesperson said.

Olga Anderson, an honorary governor of the Ageing Research Centre at Prince of Wales Hospital, said every suburb would benefit from the type of community support offered by the Apartments for Life project.

“This is essential because New South Wales has a rapidly aging population. Community centres would enable people to stay longer in their own homes and out of hospital beds,” she said.

– By Sophie Bent