Independent living village a half century in the making
Mossman housing
A new 57-home $30m retirement village in Mossman has been approved by the State Government after years of planning.
The Mossman Rivers Retirement Village, which is also expected to include a clubhouse, lap pool and gym, was ticked off by the Environment Department (DETSI) late last month and the Housing and Public Works Department at the start of this year, with the news revealed in last week’s Douglas Shire Council meeting.
Long-time campaigner for an independent-living centre on the Johnston Road site, Marjorie Norris, was in the meeting to hear the announcement.
Ms Norris, who lives next door at Kubirri Aged Care Centre, told the meeting she had been campaigning for 26 years to have the centre built.
“We very badly need housing at the moment,” she said.
“We have big problems.”
She said the land was bought in 2003 when she was on the council, and had been sitting vacant ever since.
“What is council doing with that land bought in 2003?”
Mayor Lisa Scomazzon said there was a retirement village scheme put in place in January.
“Things are starting to move now,” Mayor Scomazzon said.
“Unfortunately these things take a while to get going.”
The retirement village scheme approval paves the way for 57 three-bedroom leasehold units to be bought off the plan, with construction expected to start later this year.
The brick-and-steel-roof units will include a single-car garage and rear patio on 126sq m blocks, as well as ducted air conditioning and wifi.
“All this being just a short 10-minute drive to the amazing Daintree River, Mossman Gorge and some of the most amazing rainforested beaches you'll ever see,” the promotion material states.
“Once you move into this Village, you'll never want to leave this slice of paradise.”
The company behind the plan, Pacific Retirement Estates, started up in 2022 and is based in Brisbane.
The PRE Company Group runs the 83-home Cooloola Waters in Tin Can Bay, as well as a partly established village in Childers and is planning for two more in Seaforth and Wamuran.
