The longest-serving and largest provider of aged care in the region, St Agnes’ Care & Lifestyle is committed to addressing the changing needs of community as it ages. Our plan to provide these services for the next 20 years and beyond is called the St Agnes’ Care & Lifestyle Masterplan.

The Masterplan provides a strategy for the investment in the future of local aged care which will include new construction of, and upgrading of existing services.

The Parish lodged DAs under the name ‘St Agnes’ Care & Lifestyle’ with Port Macquarie-Hastings Council to develop the vacant land next to Emmaus on Colonel Barney Drive to build a specially dedicated service to look after those with dementia and related conditions. Residents will live in small groups in the style of a village community offering a service that will be the first of its kind on the NSW Mid-North Coast and in the broader NSW regional area. This will begin an exciting new era for the Parish as a leading and innovative provider of care to the local community.

See an artist’s impression (opposite) of the reception of the proposed new Emmaus building.

You can also provide feedback directly to the Masterplan team or subscribe to SACAL Masterplan updates by clicking below.

All necessary DAs have been approved and the Parish is now working on developing details designs for final estimating of capital costs.

Following completion of the estimating and detail design phase the Parish will review its financial modelling with the view to submit approval documentation to the St Agnes’ Care & Lifestyle Board by the end of December 2020.

The impact of COVID-19 has had a profound impact on society and operation of the Parish and will be needed to be taken into consideration when considering the investment in developing the Emmaus site. Whilst the Parish is hopeful that the Emmaus site development will be able to proceed, the decision of the Board will need to take into all parameters that may affect the project.

On 27 October 2020, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced that St Agnes’ Care & Lifestyle would receive a State Government grant of $5 million for the building of a dementia-specific community centre.

St Agnes’ Catholic Parish Chief Executive Officer Adam Spencer welcomed the funding announcement by the Premier.

“On behalf of our Parish Priest Fr Paul Gooley and St Agnes’ Care and Lifestyle General Manager Bronwyn Chalker, I welcome the funding provided by the State Government and am delighted the Premier has taken the time to visit Port Macquarie today to announce the grant,” Mr Spencer said. “The grant will enable us to begin the first stage of a holistic dementia-specific service that will ensure the NSW Mid North Coast is a lighthouse for dementia care in NSW. In this first stage we will build the Emmaus Memory Support Community Centre to provide respite care, memory support programs and day services for those with dementia and other ageing issues.”

“The Community Centre will be a hub for both residents and the local community and the next stage of building will include village-style accommodation specially designed for residents with dementia.”

“Ultimately, this unique facility will offer a café, wellness centre with beauty and massage; arts and crafts, a music room, library, cinema and a GP clinic,” he concluded.

St Agnes’ Catholic Parish CEO Adam Spencer joined Federal Member for Cowper Pat Conaghan on 8 October for the announcement of funding for the St Agnes’ Care & Lifestyle, which is the aged care service provider of St Agnes’ Catholic Parish, was the successful applicant of $6.5 million under the Building Better Regions Fund.

“I’m extremely pleased to secure the funding for this ground-breaking facility. When I first saw the plans it was incredibly inspiring,” Mr Conaghan said. “The team at St Agnes’ Care & Lifestyle has undertaken extensive research into the latest gold-standard practices for caring for those living with Dementia developed in the Netherlands and will be bringing that to Australia.”

St Agnes’ Catholic Parish CEO Adam Spencer welcomed the announcement and the support of the project offered by the Federal Member for Cowper.

“On behalf of our Parish Priest Fr Paul Gooley and St Agnes’ Care and Lifestyle General Manager Bronwyn Chalker, I welcome the funding provided by the Federal Government and am delighted to be able to officially announce the grant,” Mr Spencer said. “Mr Conaghan has always been extremely supportive of this project and is as passionate as we are about its intended outcome, which will make such a difference in the lives of those affected by dementia and their families, as well as giving the local economy a boost in terms of job creation.”

“The funding will ensure that Port Macquarie will become a lighthouse for dementia care in Australia.” You can read the full announcement here.