The Mackay Day Surgery will continue to provide the local community with IVF services, with building owner Australian Unity Investments (AUI) signing a 10 year lease with a new tenant, Queensland Fertility Group (QFG).
Mr Chris Smith, AUI’s head of healthcare and retirement property funds, said a number of factors were taken into account when selecting a new tenant for the Mackay Day Surgery.
“QFG is a high-quality tenant that satisfies AUI’s strict leasing criteria, including a long-term track record and financial stability.
“At the same time, we recognised the overwhelming support of the local community for continuing IVF services at the site, and we are very pleased that QFG will ensure that quality fertility services remain available to the local community and wider regional area,” Mr Smith said.
The facility will be renamed as Mackay Specialist Day Hospital and will be part of the Australian health group Virtus Health, a provider of IVF, day hospital and diagnostic services. Virtus Health currently operates five day hospitals in Australia.
Dr Lance Herron, senior fertility specialist at QFG, said the new premises mean that QFG will be able to expand its operations.
“QFG already operates out of part of the Mackay Day Surgery so the new lease allows us to seamlessly expand our services in the areas of infertility, gynaecology and obstetrics as well as increase the availability of operating theatre time.
“We hope to be fully operational in the new premises by the end of January,” Dr Herron said.
Mr Smith added that the Mackay Day Surgery is located in a prime position where there is a growing demand for health services.
“The Mackay region continues to experience substantial population growth, which in turn increases the demand for health services.
“In particular, the closure of the Pioneer Valley Private Hospital has substantially increased the need for operating theatre time, and this further cements the Mackay Day Surgery – which houses two operating theatres – as an integral part of the Mackay medical community,” Mr Smith said.
AUI’s Healthcare Property Trust acquired the Mackay Day Surgery in 2007 and the facility has provided IVF services for nearly 10 years.
Australian Unity Investments is the funds management arm of financial services, health and retirement living services provider Australian Unity. It has $11.4 billion in funds under management (as at 30 November 2011).
The property funds management business has over $1.8 billion in funds under management (as at 30 November 2011).
Its unlisted property funds own more than 60 properties in the healthcare, retail, industrial and office sectors across Australia.
The flagship fund, the Healthcare Property Trust, currently has over $400 million in funds under management and owns 20 healthcare properties in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia as well as three vacant parcels of land for future development.
The Healthcare Property Trust (Wholesale) has returned 7.73% over one year, 4.88% pa over three years and 9.41% pa over five years (as at 31 October 2011)*.
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For more information please contact:
Mr Chris Smith
Phone: 03 8682 4534
Email: csmith@australianunity.com.au
*Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. Australian Unity Funds Management Limited ABN 60 071 497 115 AFS Licence No. 234454 is the product issuer. This information is general information only and does not take into account the financial objectives, situation or needs or any particular investor. You should refer to the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) dated 25 June 2010 and the Supplementary Product Disclosure Statement dated 28 October 2011 if you wish to know more about this product. You can obtain a copy of the Trust’s PDS by calling 13 29 39 or from our website australianunityinvestments.com.au. You should consider the PDS in deciding whether to acquire, or to continue to hold the product.