PARTNERSHIP TO BENEFIT ALL GENERATIONS
Pedare Agreement with Life Care
Pedare Christian College has entered into an agreement with Life Care Inc for the sale of 12,900m2 of vacant land to the south west of Pedare. The sale would realise the potential of the dormant asset with Life Care proposing to build a modern independent living community from the open space. The College Board have sought to release the land as part of the Towards 2020 strategic direction for the College and transform an unused asset. Building on our sound financial position the sale of the land will further strengthen Pedare’s ability to invest in the learning facilities and extend opportunities for students from Reception to Year 12.
Pedare and Life Care are excited about the development proposal and the positive impacts this will have for the local and Pedare Community. Pedare will hold a Community Meeting on Tuesday 28th June at 7.00pm in the College Chapel. This Pedare Community Meeting will formally release the Towards 2020 Strategic Plan and communicate more about the exciting opportunities for the College. We look forward, very positively, to guiding the Pedare community towards 2020.
Life Care’s proposal would see an investment of $60 Million over the next few years to build a modern independent living community unlike others in the northern suburbs. For Pedare, the proposed Life Care project containing an art gallery, commercial kitchens, lifestyle activities and retail facilities not only creates future jobs for the local area but provides intergenerational learning opportunities for Pedare students to serve and build relationships within the local community. The development proposal has been sent to Tea Tree Gully Council which will be open for public consultation.
Mike Millard College Principal
Katey Elding Chair of Pedare Board
Agreement Overview
Pedare proposed sale of land: Sale of 12,900m2 to the south west of Pedare Middle & Senior School on the corner of Surrey Farm Drive and The Golden Way. Refer picture below. Partnership with: Life Care is a not for profit organisation established by Churches of Christ in 1950. Now operating independently, Life Care is an innovative provider of quality services to the ageing with values consistent with its history. www.lifecare.com.au
Development Plans: Creation of an integrated living community comprising of 78 independent living units, 24 serviced apartments and an 80 bed residential aged care facility. The development also includes community open areas and gardens, serviced with a gallery, cafĂŠ and retail facilities.
Development Proposal
View from The Golden Way into, the Golden Way verge including Gallery and Open Arts Spaces
View from Surrey Farm Drive, at Life Care main entrance and underground car parking.
The Golden Way and Surrey Farm Drive corner
Life Care development FAQ Q. Is the College selling the land due to financial difficulties? A. No, the College is in a very sound financial position. The sale of the land is to obtain the value in what has been a dormant and unused asset of the College for many years. It is anticipated that the funds from the sale will enable the Strategic Plan “Towards 2020” to be fully funded and enable future improvements to the College. Q. Will there be traffic issues arising from the Life Care development? A. As part of their development application to the Tea Tree Gully Council, Life Care will need to demonstrate the effect on traffic flows along Surrey Farm Drive and The Golden Way. While Council will ultimately decide on whether the proposed development has an acceptable impact on traffic flows in the area, the College does not anticipate any significant traffic issues for school drop off and pick up. Early indications from Life Care suggest the majority of traffic to their site will be at different times to school drop off and pick up times. Q. I am concerned about the possibility Life Care residents will be able to look into the school grounds. What action is the College taking to address these concerns? A. As the development application to the Tea Tree Gully Council is open for public consultation, the College will have a say in whether the proposed development raises privacy concerns for our students and staff. The Council also has regulations regarding privacy for neighbours on proposed developments. To ensure the privacy of neighbouring properties, council has requirements with regards to appropriate screening and other mechanisms. Life Care are aware of these privacy restrictions and the proposed building on the boundary with Pedare contains the aged care facility on the higher levels instead of apartments or independent living units. The College Board and Leadership Team have student privacy and safety as its highest priority and will be working with Life Care and the Tea Tree Gully Council to ensure any concerns are addressed.
Q. The College is undertaking a Feasibility Study into having one campus which would bring the Junior School to the Middle and Senior School site. Does the sale of the land mean the Junior School will stay where it is or if one campus is still being considered, where will the Junior School go? A. Early indications from the Feasibility Study identify there is more than enough space to adequately accommodate a Junior School without this parcel of land. Initial findings from the architect undertaking the study show the existing Middle and Senior School areas can be modified enabling enough space for a suitable Junior School area. However, the Feasibility Study is still in progress with further investigations to consider and no conclusion to the viability for one campus has been made. Q. Why is the College selling the land now? A. For some time, the College Board has regarded the vacant land as surplus to the College’s needs and partnering with Life Care is seen as an excellent opportunity to obtain the value held in the land. The sale of the land fits within the College’s Strategic Plan “Towards 2020” and enables the College Board and Leadership to further develop the facilities and assets of the College to enhance the learning opportunities for all students. The Pedare Board sees a strong benefit in having one neighbour from an organisation who is founded on similar principles of serving the local community. Compared to releasing the land to housing or other forms of development, having one neighbour provides the best opportunity to build a strong working relationship. Q. Will the College undertake any activities with Life Care? A. The College and Life Care both see the potential for intergenerational learning and a number of opportunities exist across various year levels in areas such as food technology, allied health and aged care.