Anglican Care had received DA approval from Lake Macquarie City Council for the retirement living self-care apartments, to be built next to the company’s $39-million Kilpatrick Court residential aged care facility.

But Anglican Care has since acquired another property on Brighton Avenue, potentially enabling it to increase the footprint of the development originally planned at the site.

Anglican Care chief executive officer Colin Osborne said the original DA was for the creation of 37 self-care apartments. 

The revised plan would include 50 or more apartments over an area of about 8000 square metres.

“But we have not revised the design, as yet. It’s something that we’ll probably do later this year, and submit a revised DA to council,” Mr Osborne said.

“I would anticipate [the cost of] the revised project that we will submit to council would be in the order of $35 million to $40 million.”

The Toronto retirement living project is part of a $150 million capital works program Anglican Care has in the Hunter over five years.

The program includes major works at Booragul.

“We’re committed to a rebuilding of the C A Brown nursing home at Booragul. That’s something we think we’ll be able to start in January of next year,” Mr Osborne said.

That schedule of work meant progress was not  likely to start on the Toronto retirement living development until about 2019, he said.

In the meantime, recent rain at the cleared Brighton Avenue site has sharpened the focus on erosion and sediment control.

A spokesperson for Lake Macquarie City Council said the council had been working with the contractor onsite to ensure a range of erosion and sediment control measures are installed.  

“These include retaining existing vegetative groundcover where possible, installing sediment fences and coir logs as well as applying soil stabiliser to prevent soil erosion,” the spokesperson said. 

“Council staff inspected the site this week and have requested the contractor complete the installation of additional erosion and sediment controls.”

Mr Osborne said the cleared land would be spray grassed and fenced.

“It’s very important that we get that [erosion control] right,” he said.

“We take our responsibilities in that regard very seriously, and council has been very helpful in providing us with advise and assistance.”

The original design for the Toronto retirement living development featured apartments in two three-storey buildings, and a two-storey building.

The approved design also featured gardens, driveways and a village green.

Mr Osborne said one thing was certain about the revised plan for the Toronto site.

“We want to make sure the finished built environment reflects the standard of Kilpatrick Court,” he said.

“It will be a very high quality residential accommodation facility for the Toronto town centre.”

Detailed planning for the rebuild of the C A Brown nursing home, at Booragul, was much further advanced, he said.

“The design for the new building consists of 126 single rooms with ensuites, including two premium rooms which could accommodate couples and 18 secure dementia specific rooms,” Mr Osborne said.

“The building will be housed over three levels, with a basement car park and will include a café and spaces for community-based programs.” 

Anglican Care was also exploring an opportunity regarding a new retirement living village on the eastern side of Lake Macquarie, he said.

“But discussions are currently commercial in confidence.”