Rural Residential Aged Care Facilities Renewal Program

The 2020-21 Rural Residential Aged Care Facilities Renewal Program is available to eligible public sector residential aged care services in regional and rural Victoria to:

• enhance infection control procedures
• ensure compliance with current Commonwealth regulatory requirements
• redesign models of care to cater to increasing populations and changing age profiles
• enhance the quality and amenity of facilities for residents and staff
• undertake major refurbishments, repairs and replacements of buildings
• increase service capacity
• increase safety of services.

The $10 million Rural Residential Aged Care Facilities Renewal Program aims to achieve the following benefits:

Care closer to home

The fund will support improvements to rural residential aged care services, enabling rural and regional Victorians access to quality healthcare. This means people can access appropriate residential aged care services that meet their needs, such as a dementia-friendly facility.

Support growing demand

Victoria is the fastest-growing state in Australia. This new funding program will help meet growing demand in regional and rural Victoria by upgrading infrastructure, equipment and facilities to deliver contemporary and appropriate models of care. These new or redeveloped facilities will support more patients to access care locally.

Regulatory compliance

The fund enables facilities to implement improvements to comply with federal and state standards and guidelines. Funding will also ensure community expectations for rural and regional residential aged care are met and that facilities are built to contemporary standards.

Stronger local economies

Construction and upgrades of rural residential aged care facilities provide opportunities for local trades and businesses to undertake project-based work. The expansion of rural and regional residential aged care services can also provide ongoing employment opportunities for medical and healthcare professionals and create employment pathways for younger generations. The fund can help contribute to the economic viability of rural and regional communities and aims to improve liveability now, and into the future.

Submissions for the Rural Residential Aged Care Facilities Renewal Program opened on 27 January 2021 and closed on 9 March 2021. 

Need help?

For assistance regarding the funding program please email psracs@health.vic.gov.au.

More information

Additional documentation to guide and support applications can be found in the ‘Downloads’ section at the bottom of this page:

• Rural Residential Aged Care Facilities Renewal Program- Guidelines
• frequently asked questions
• lifecycle costing template

Projects funded through the Victorian Government’s Rural Residential Aged Care Renewal Program are administered by the Victorian Health Building Authority and delivered by the public funded aged care service provider.