WHEN the ribbon was cut on Julia Creek's long-awaited Seniors Community and Supported Living Precinct last Friday, it fulfilled a two-decade dream for the town. Almost $5 million of federal fundin
WHEN the ribbon was cut on Julia Creek's long-awaited Seniors Community and Supported Living Precinct last Friday, it fulfilled a two-decade dream for the town.
Almost $5 million of federal funding went into creating eight independent living units to keep seniors in the North West.
The units also came with a community centre, named after Father Bill Busuttin from the Catholic Church, where home and community care workers and Julia Creek's community nurse will have close access to many of their clients.
McKinlay Mayor Belinda Murphy said the precinct was a dream 20 years in the making.
"We lose a critical part of our community when our seniors leave," she said. "They have a wealth of knowledge, experience and personality to contribute to our community, and we don't want to lose their valuable contributions any earlier than we need to."
Federal member for Kennedy Bob Katter was on site to open the precinct last week, and thanked the federal government and others who worked "continuously and furiously" to secure the facility.
"It is financially prohibitive for some families to move the elderly into retirement homes in more built-up towns and cities. The cost of keeping them in Julia Creek is much smaller. This facility will not only save families money but will also benefit the community enormously," he said.
"The knowledge and richness that the elderly contribute to a community is great indeed. This knowledge is handed down and, in this instance, further enriches the community of Julia Creek."