A loan from the Regional Infrastructure Fund will help fund a much-needed new 24-bed wing at O’Conor Home for senior citizens in Westport.
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones said that providing safe, fit-for-purpose facilities for senior citizens is a marker of a compassionate and caring society.
"When older people need this type of specialist care, it should be near their family, friends and community,” said Jones.
The NZD 13.9 million new wing will increase O’Conor Home's capacity from 68 to 92, providing 10 additional places for residents needing dementia care and 14 more hospital-level care beds. Approximately 25 new staff will be recruited to care for the extra residents.
Despite having a much higher proportion of people aged 65 and over than the national average, the West Coast has seen a reduction in specialist aged-care services over the past 10 years, with O’Conor Home the only provider in the Buller district.
According to Associate Health Minister Casey Costello, increasing access to this type of specialist residential care on the West Coast will reduce pressure on the wider health system, particularly hospital services. It will also see fewer older people having to go to aged care facilities outside the region.
Costello added that this initiative aligned with wider aged care reforms which will give people better access to the services they need.
The O’Conor Institute Trust Board, which owns and operates O’Conor Home, has also received funding for the project from Health New Zealand, Development West Coast and the wider Buller community.
The RIF loan of NZD 2.1m will ensure the construction-ready project proceeds as soon as possible, with detailed design and consent work already completed, and an anticipated completion date of August 2028.
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