7 minute read
The Reading Corner
thereading corner BY JESSICA ANSCOMBE
THE RIPPING TREE Author Nikki Gemmell
Nikki Gemmell is an Australian author whose work spans over twenty novels. Nikki has described her latest novel, The Ripping Tree, as her ‘love letter to Australia’, a book that was written from a yearning to be back on home soil. The story begins with tomboy Thomasina Trelora being sent to the colonies, fated to marry a clergyman she’s never met. When the ship sinks off the coastline, Thomasina is rescued by an Aboriginal man and left on the doorstep of Willowbrae, a grand estate and home to a wealthy settler family. At first, Thomasina is excited at the possibility of a fresh start with this new family until she uncovers a secret that cannot be ignored. The Ripping Tree is a beautifully written story about a young woman who fights for survival in an unknown land and the dark history of Australia’s colonisation.
Each character is crafted well. From the strong–willed, but still so young, Thomasina to the Craw family, with their individual turmoil, who each want to keep Thomasina for themselves. The matriarch, Mrs Craw, rules her home sternly and takes offense at the wild traits of their new guest. Mr Craw is cagey and secretive, while youngest son, Mouse, longs for a friend and playmate. The characters are diverse and work well together to develop the story.
For anyone with a love of language and the Australian bush, the description of the landscape in The Ripping Tree will be a treat. “Hurting light beats down on a beautifully ordered, English–style garden that seems trapped in a heat–struck stillness… Outside is the curious upside–down frontier… a land of heat–baked soil and sallow colours and impossibly shaped animals…”, Nikki describes the estate built within the wild colonial bush with a rawness and beauty.
The novel is written in first person from the perspective of the protagonist, Thomasina. The story stays in the present with occasional memories of Thomasina’s old life and her father in England. The novel has a sharp, fast writing style, with short sentences and fleeting internal thoughts from Thomasina, giving the reader lovely insights into her mind, her past and the new world in which she has been immersed. Nikki Gemmell’s use of language seems poetical and direct all at once. It is a powerful novel that reveals pieces of the story gradually, keeping the intensity high.
Jessica Anscombe is a librarian and writer living on the Central Coast. She has a passion for literature and writes fiction and non–fiction. Jessica was the winner of the Wyong Writers’ 2021 Short Story Competition and her winning story is to be published in an upcoming anthology. She has also been longlisted for the Furious Fiction prize and you can read her short stories here www.jessicaanscombe.com/category/fiction/short–stories/ and follow her on instagram at www.instagram.com/jessicaanscombe/
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Home sweet
Home
It is the great Australian dream to own your own home. But how does your home affect your age pension or the aged care fees you can be asked to pay?
Eligibility for an age pension and liability to pay aged care fees, are both impacted by your assets and income. This includes an assessment of where you live and your ownership status.
The Centrelink (or Veterans’ Affairs) assets test starts by identifying you as either a homeowner or a non–homeowner. A higher threshold applies to non–homeowners but homeowners receive an exemption for the home.
At first glance it may seem simple to decide whether you are a homeowner or not, but it is not always that easy.
The basic premise is:
But if only it really were that simple! Arrangements may be more complex and variations may apply for certain situations. In some cases, you may be considered a homeowner even if you don’t own the home – for example under certain rules for aged care and retirement villages.
What is the exempt amount? If you are classified as a homeowner, the building you live in will be an exempt asset, as well as up to two hectares of land (if that land is held for personal use). Farmers and people on rural properties may receive approval to exempt a greater parcel of land if they meet requirements for the 20–year extended land–use test rule.
What if you move out? If you move out of your home, the former home usually becomes an investment property and is fully assessable at market value. Some specific exemptions include:
If you live in a home that you and/or your spouse own
You are a homeowner
Home is an exempt asset
If you live in a home that someone owns
You are a non–homeowner
Lump sums paid for the right to live there might be an assessable asset
Move to access care – you may continue to be a homeowner with the home exempt for up to two years
Temporary move – in other cases, if the move is only temporary, you may be allowed a 12 month continuation of your homeowner status.
Moving to a retirement village brings its own set of rules. This is considered to be a move to a new home rather than to access care. Whether you are a homeowner or not, will depend on how much you paid as your entry contribution and the former home is assessed as an investment property if still owned.
If you sell your home, the sale proceeds are assessed depending on how they are used or invested unless you intend to use the sale proceeds to purchase or build a new home. In this case, you can continue to be a homeowner, with a continuing assets test exemption, for the first 12 months. Money used to pay the accommodation costs for residential aged care, is an exempt asset.
Talk to us Buying a home or moving out of your home are major life decisions and can involve significant amounts of money. Access to advice can help to ensure that you make a fully informed decision and understand the impacts on your pension or aged care fees – mistakes are too costly to make.
Accredited Aged Care Specialists, have the expertise to help you understand the full implications.
Sophie Doyle (AR#000470612) is an Aged Care Specialist at Morgans Financial Limited (Morgans AFSL 235410 / ABN49 010 669 726); she has a passion for assisting people make informed financial decisions, as they navigate their way through retirement and the aged care system. To contact Sophie phone 4325 0884 or 0488 521 844. Disclaimer: The information in this article is general advice only and does not take into account your particular circumstances. We recommend you see a financial adviser, registered tax agent or legal adviser before making any decisions based on this information. * Current at 1 October 2021.
Will you have to sell the house?
Understand the financial implications and opportunities available when transitioning a loved one into Aged Care. We can guide you through the financial steps. Ask today!
Sophie Doyle AR 000470612 Aged Care Specialist / Associate Adviser
02 4325 0884 | morgans.com.au/gosford/aged-care
Morgans Financial Limited ABN 49 010 669 726 AFSL 235410 A Participant of ASX Group A Professional Partner of the Financial Planning Association of Australia.
