Yarra Yarra Village - Carnamah Retirement Homes

Yarra Yarra Village is a joint venture between the Shire of Carnamah and the Department of Housing and Works, to provide public housing accommodation to the well aged Seniors of the Australian community.

Opened 7^th November 2003

Recent recipients of the 2004 Australia Day Award for a Community Group, the Carnamah Retirement Homes Committee are proud to have opened the Yarra Yarra Village, Carnamah’s new retirement village, on Friday 7th November 2003.

Guests to the opening included Mr. Trevor Gregory and Mr. Jeff Mould, from the Department of Housing & Works; Mr. Colin Cochran, the buildings' Architect; the Honorable Bill Mc Nee MLC for Moore; the Honorable Wilson Tuckey MP for O'Connor; the Shire Presidents of both the Shires of Coorow and Three Springs; Yarra Yarra Village Residents and Committee members; and interested members of the public. Mrs. Al Grierson, as one of the longest serving members of the Carnamah Retirement Homes Committee, was invited to officially open the units. Mrs. Grierson has served on the committee since 1987 when the idea was first discussed.

The opening of the units was concluded with guests being invited to look through one of the units, kindly opened by its tenants, Mr. & Mrs. Whitlock, and then invited back to Council Chambers for a refreshing afternoon tea.

History

On 26^th March 1987, a meeting was called in Dongara to discuss the needs of some of the communities in the Midwest. From that meeting, a Carnamah Community Committee was formed to investigate community needs, including Senior Citizen Housing, HACC services and apprentice accommodation.

In September 1993, a further meeting formed a committee to look into Senior Citizen accommodation and 4 units were discussed. In 1995, the Council set aside proceeds from the sale of special Carnamah series number plates to help buy land for Senior's accommodation. The Shire approached a landholder, but the community did not feel it was an appropriate site. The Committee had even got to drawing up plans that year.

Money was available to finance this project, however the repayments were too high for the Committee/Shire to maintain alone. So the Committee approached the Department of Housing and Works, or Homeswest as it was known then, for a joint venture.

In 2000, land was purchased in Caron Street from Mr. Terry Walton and the committee approached the Department of Housing and Works to fund a joint venture to build 3 x two bedroom and 2 x one bedroom units with wheelchair access. It was not until 2002 that the committee were advised these units would be built in 2003.

The Committee of eight then really got serious about fund raising, with two Monster Auctions, catered for a clearing sale, catered for the North Midlands Agricultural Show luncheons, held Melbourne Cup Luncheons, a Clayton’s Ball, and a Buy a Brick campaign. Some farmers put grain into the silo and also carted gravel for a Shire road project, as well as selling the special series number plates.

To date, the Committee have raised $53,000 in the Yarra Yarra Village fund and with this money, the Committee have been able to provide for the residents: window treatments, split level reverse cycle air-conditioning, rain water tanks to each unit, electric stoves and range hoods instead of gas stoves for safety reasons, garden landscaping, reticulation, plants and synthetic lawn as well as this name wall which the plaque is on.

The Committee is very proud of these units and the Committee hopes our five residents find them comfortable and a very happy home.

The Ministry of Housing has contributed $460,029 to this venture, Carnamah Shire has bought the land, done the site works, surveying, landscaping, brick paving the front and footpaths as well as contributing $86,112 to the capital costs. The Grain Pool also gave a 'no-interest' loan over 5 years for $25,000.

The Architect, Colin Cochran, took into consideration the suggestions put forward by the Committee and it is very satisfying to see the results. P.S. Chester & Sons built the units.

The name Yarra Yarra Village was chosen from a list of names submitted by the people of Carnamah, and the Committee felt Yarra Yarra was quite appropriate.