Supporting Aboriginal Elders in Ballarat
04/04/2023Aboriginal Elders in Ballarat will soon have access to a culturally specific independent living village, thanks to support from the Victorian Government.
Work has begun on the Ballarat and District Aboriginal Cooperative (BADAC) Elders’ Independent Living Community, backed by a $2.6 million investment from the Victorian Government’s Regional Infrastructure Fund.
Located near Ballarat’s city centre, the village is set to empower older Aboriginal people to continue to share their culture and lead their communities.
The project will include 8 self-contained units, a large central hall for community meals, treatment rooms for medical personnel and a vegetable garden. It will enable Elders to live independently while receiving the care they need.
Ballarat-based D R A R Constructions will build the village, creating 160 jobs during construction and 4 ongoing roles at BADAC once complete. Cultural themes and spaces are being designed in consultation with Elders.
There are more than 700 Aboriginal people aged 45 and over across 5 local government areas in western Victoria – including Ballarat, Moorabool, Hepburn, Golden Plains and Pyrenees – who may need support as they get older.
The project is part of BADAC’s goal to strengthen Aboriginal families in their local communities through health, social and community development programs.
The Regional Infrastructure Fund is part of the Victorian Government’s flagship Regional Jobs and Infrastructure Fund. The Fund is key to the Government’s record investment of more than $36 billion across regional and rural Victoria since 2015.
For more information about the Regional Infrastructure Fund.