Retirement to replace business at historic site NEW Zealand’s largest retirement village operator, Ryman Healthcare, has snapped up Mt Eliza’s waterfront Moonah Estate for almost $40 million, with plans to redevelop the property into a retirement village. And they are looking for help from Mornington Peninsula residents to give the village a name that is in keeping with the history of the iconic site. The 8.9 ha property on Kunyung Rd, Mt Eliza was placed on the market in June in an international expressions-of-interest campaign and was expected to fetch more than $20 million. At the time CBRE sales assistant Bianca Butterworth said that price [$20 million] was “rather conservative given [the property’s] unique nature”. Ryman Healthcare has 30 retirement villages, mainly in New Zealand, but had been searching for suitable sites in Victoria when the property became available. Communications manager David King said the Moondah site will be a “resortstyle” retirement village with indoor pools, hair and beauty salons, cafes, and movie theatres as well as care hospitals. “We name our villages after prominent people with connections to the area, for example, Weary Dunlop, Edmund Hillary, Kiri Te Kanawa, Bruce
McLaren,” he said. “So we will be looking for suggestions for a name from Mt Eliza locals”. The Mt Eliza property belonged to the Melbourne Business School, which ran business courses from the site for 59 years. Before that, it was part of the former Moondah estate built by James Grice in 1988 and owned in the late 1940s and early 1950s by the late Sir Reginald Ansett. The News reported in July that the school was selling the 8.9 hectare Kunyung Rd property, partly due to falling interest in regionally-based business courses and a plan expand the school’s Carlton site as a “world-class centre for business education”. Ryman managing director Simon Challies said he was “excited” by the purchase. “This is an outstanding site in terms of its natural beauty and it is going to make an absolutely stunning place to live for retirees who love the peninsula,” he said . Mr Challies said the company’s research showed there was a shortage of retirement living options at Mt Eliza and on the wider peninsula. The new village would include independent living apartments and aged care, and employ more than 100 staff. Liz Bell
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WEEK 2 Expert panel: Professors Michael Georgeff and Leon Piterman, Dr Jaime Layland, Libby Calloway and U3A Mornington president Tom Jeavons.
Technologies for The Third Age TECHNOLOGY touches every part of our lives and can support creative and independent living. This was brought home to members of U3A (University of the Third Age) Mornington at a recent seminar at Monash University. Highly qualified speakers led the audience on a visual journey outlining advances in medical and technological responses to chronic health problem management, U3A’s Joan Yalden said. From the immediate medical response to a person who has had a heart attack on the Frankston foreshore, cardiac specialist Dr Jaime Layland described the rapid pathway of care by an expert medical and nursing team at the hospital. Ms Yalden said he “traced the evolution of cardiac care over the past century to put into perspective the leading edge treatment delivered by his highly skilled team on the Mornington Peninsula”. Computer scientist Professor Michael Georgeff, who has an extensive background in research on artificial intelligence software and e-health in the US and Australia, spoke of the advantages of the latest electronic system of health management records, such as My Health Record. Used as a digital solution to support better
communication connectivity between patients and the health care team, an e-health record is a “medi-tracker in your own hands”, he said. Holding a summary of a person’s medical record, medications, pathology results and follow-up appointments, it can be accessed via iPad or mobile phone. Occupational therapist and researcher Libby Callaway, of Monash University, talked about technological developments that have revolutionised housing design and developments enabling people with disabilities to live in their own home. She illustrated sophisticated innovations that allow electronic control of blinds, lighting, heating or working surface levels with the touch of a finger. “Where is this technology moving us to in the future? You have guessed it – a robot in your home,” Ms Yalden said. The final seminar in the Monash/U3A Dialogue Series “Life and Happiness in Retirement” is on Friday 21 October at the Peninsula Community Theatre, Mornington. See u3amornington.com.au or call 5975 9773 for further information.
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241 Main Street Mornington, VIC 3931 | morningtonvillage.com.au Mornington News 20 September 2016
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