Dubbo property developer Ryan Medley hands keys to LiveBetter for new disability accommodation

The centrally located villas, a partnership between LiveBetter and Langford Regional, for SDA approved customers will allow residents to live an independent life - both at home and in the local community.

The 10-unit single storey villa complex is located on Queen Street - only a short distance to local amenities such as the Western Plains Cultural Centre, train station, local shops, cafes and eateries.

Every element has been carefully considered by property developer, Ryan Medley and his brother, Shane, from choosing a suitable location to fitting it out with certain elements conducive to people living with disability. Residents even have the option of who they live with, which could be a friend or a parent or guardian.

From his experiences as a young, community-minded man living with disability, Ryan specifically chose the Queen Street block, primarily because the central location would give people with disability the chance to live a more independent life.

Mr Medley said it was really rewarding to see people finally visiting the accommodation.

"It's been a fair bit of a process, so to finally get to the point where participants can enjoy their home, I'm quite ecstatic actually," he said.

"It's nice to see people that will be moving in, to see their faces and what their home would be, it's exciting."

The challenges that came with concept designing, approval and the final build, has made the outcome that much more rewarding for Mr Medley.

READ MORE:

"Initially through the design to meet the requirement for high physical, they're very particular and the attention to detail is really important, so getting our design precisely spot on was critical," he said.

"Post approval, we just had the general construction issues, weather, rising cost of materials and wait time for materials."

Mr Medley became an expert in Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) requirements and took the lead in choosing elements such as specific flooring for wheelchair traction, sensor operated doors (so no having to fiddle with keys or door handles) and ensuring that each master bedroom can be modified to suit individual needs.

He has even ensured that his building team is certified to make these modifications.

His next plan is to reproduce the build in Orange.

"I've got a couple of little projects to do in between to keep me ticking, I go a bit crazy if I'm bored. I'm a couple of months into the Orange one, but I'm excited to go down there and regurgitate what I've done here," he said.

Mr Medley said there was definitely a need for two bedroom and one bedroom units.

"I feel like that's a point of difference, and it's something I would want to move into as well, which is that human factor behind it all, which is what I want to achieve," he said.

"It's also a point of difference with our tenants as well."

Briette Parish, Executive General Manager of Disability Services at LiveBetter, said the new development presents an exciting and unique opportunity to the people of regional NSW.

"We are really excited about this partnership and the opportunities created for people with disability to live in this purpose-built accommodation setting," she said.

"The property is unique because it's the first time people with a disability will have the option to choose their housemate, which could be family."

LiveBetter Chief Executive Officer Natalie Forsyth-Stock said it was very easy to agree to Mr Medley's idea when he first brought it up.

"We were right on board and this is a vision for us going forward, moving away from the old group homes to where people have the support they need to live but they have their own privacy because they have their own units," she said.

Ms Forsyth-Stock said there had been quite a lot of interest in the accommodation, and she believes there will be a high demand.

"I think there will be no problems filling it, we might even have to build another one at some stage which is great," she said.

According to Ms Forsyth-Stock, there has been a lot of interest from people who live further west who come to Dubbo for their services.

"Obviously the further out west you live the less likely it is you can get good quality service," she said.

"People want their loved one to be living in an area where they have access to services and accesses to a great life."

Ms Forsyth-Stock said she hoped the accommodation would create a close knit community and start the beginnings of a real friendship between the residents.

Mr Medley thanked LiveBetter, Dubbo Regional Council, his team at Langford Regional and the construction team who built the properties.

"Thank you to everyone for your patience, we all got there, so thank you to everyone involved," he said.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: