CLEVELAND's Donald Simpson Centre is set to become a major hub for senior citizens after Redland City Council gave the thumbs up to finding $4million for a new building.
A two-storey building will be added to the Bloomfield Street complex and will be a one-stop shop for the aging and disabled.
At the centre, seniors will be able to get health checks, help with pension applications, filling out government documents, registering for transport, respite care, meals and home visits.
Discussions have been held with Star Community Services, Anglicare, RDCOTA, U3A, Multicap, Cleveland Meals on Wheels, Redlands Community Centre and others.
Council decided to apply for the next round of the National Stronger Regions Funding after it granted $135,000 for design work from its Community Facilities Infrastructure reserve this month.
A council feasibility investigation found the project was advanced enough to start applying for federal and state grants ahead of the introduction of the NDIS in July.
More funding would be considered during budget deliberations for the 2017/18 financial year.
Mayor Karen Williams said catering for the city's aging population forced the council to look at different ways to help organisations continue to provide high-quality senior services.
She said the hub gave organisations a chance to share resources, space and raise revenue to cover costs with the help of council.
"There is a need for change in this sector which has been driven by federal government policy changes," she said.
"Redland city has a very large, and growing, number of seniors - growing faster than the rest of the region.
"The federal government's My Aged Care process will take a lot of our seniors out of the loop.
"This will become a facility where seniors will have access to a one-stop shop and to organisations which do a great job in our community, but which are now stretched to capacity."
Donald Simpson Centre chairman Tony Christinson said the centre was stepping up to becoming a major hub in Cleveland.
"This will be a rare centre - there is no other council, as far as I know, that offers such a comprehensive service for seniors and the disabled."
