Page 10 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, June 20, 2018
www.LocalPaper.com.au
Special Report
Public rejects Bishop’s plans for Kellock Lodge
● Alexandra Shire Hall was packed on Friday for a meeting which voted to reject Bishop Parkes’s plans to merge Kellock Lodge with St John’s Village
EDITORIAL COMMENT
Church risks alienating Murrindindi community ■ The Anglican Church - and its Wangaratta-based Bishop John Parkes - appear likely to put a permanent stain on their standing in Alexandra and the northeast, if they persist in trying to force through a merger of the local Kellock Lodge with another of its aged care facilities, 151 kilometres away at Wangaratta. Bishop Parkes did not attend the public town meeting in Alexandra on Friday. But 378 concerned local people did attend. They voted unanimously (with one dissenting vote) to reject any moves to shift control of Kellock Lodge to a new company based at Wangaratta, controlled by the Bishop and his colleagues. Kellock Lodge is an aged care facility that was built by the people of Alexandra and district in the 1980s. Local people gifted the land. Local people donated the funds to build it. Local people have worked in the op shop that has given $2 million over the years to Kellock Lodge. Local volunteers - including Rotary and Lions have given thousands of hours over the decades to make Kellock Lodge a success. Kellock Lodge has about $6 million in the kitty. Bishop Parkes has been in charge of the troubled St John's Village at Wangaratta where 10 elderly people died last year after an influenza outbreak. Accreditation inspectors pointed to a number of areas where St John's failed standards. Under Bishop Parkes's leadership, St John's Village has had serious financial troubles, according to opponents of the merger. The critics say there is a financial black-hole of up to $40 million at Wangaratta. The Bishop disputes this. He says he is prepared to guide any member of the community through an analysis of the accounts. The Local Paper does not hold the Bishop's promise in high regard; he has failed to return our phone call
from more than a week ago. Speaker after speaker at the public meeting repeated the message that the Anglican Church had not put a single cent into Kellock Lodge during its stewardship of the facility. The property and facility was put in the name of the church because locals thought it would be in safe hands. The meeting was told that Bishop Parkes had tried to sell St John's Village on two recent occasions: first to Benetas, then to MECWA. Both sales fell over. The merger opponents believe that Kellock Lodge would soon be sold, if the merger was allowed to proceed. The locals say Kellock Lodge could bring a price of up to $15 million. The Bishop's handling of the matter, in this newspaper's opinion, has been woeful. He and some directors issued a public statement earlier this week, without the prior knowledge of Kellock Lodge's chairman, John Sharwood OAM. Churches were once built on etiquette, and due process as cornerstones. This seems quite extraordinary manners. So we have a Bishop who doesn't return calls, did not attend the public meeting, and - to date - has ignored an entire town's wishes regarding the future of its own aged care facility. The Bishop has the power to dismiss the Kellock Lodge board. The Anglican Archibishop of Melbourne, Philip Freier, did not want to intervene in the matter, the meeting was told. Speakers at the meeting were highly critical of the Bishop, Archbishop and the Church. In the era where churches wonder why they have lost standing, attendances and power, it is easy to conclude that they may have lost their way. Their focus on money is desperately sad. Lord, have mercy. - Ash Long, Editor
● Craig Lloyd, Murrindindi Shire CEO, was Chairman for Friday’s public meeting at Alexandra Shire Hall ■ The Alexandra public sent a clear Murrindindi Shire Chief Execumessage to the Anglican Church on tive Officer Craig Lloyd, as ChairFriday - ‘hands off Kellock Lodge’. man of the meeting, read a stateAbout 380 people attended a pub- ment from the Bishop. The statement is reproduced in lic meeting at Alexandra Shire Hall, and voted to communicate to Angli- full in this week’s Local Paper. can Bishop John Parkes: A copy of the statement was also ■ “That this public meeting of the forwarded late Friday to this newsAlexandra community rejects any paper by public relations consultant, moves to shift the control and man- Ingrid Svendsen of Grounded agement of Kellock Lodge and its Communications, on behalf of the assets out of Alexandra into a new Wangaratta Anglican Diocese. company based at Wangaratta. Kellock Lodge Director Mike ■ “That this public meeting requests Manning criticised Anglican Archthe Kellock Board to investigate bishop Philip Freier for not becomwhether any avenues exist for the ing involved. transfer of land to an appropriate Barney Zwartz, Communications Adviser for the Anglican Diocommunity based entity.” The public meeting was called cese of Melbourne, said: “"The Anafter Bishop Parkes and some of the glicanArchbishop of Melbourne, Dr Kellock Lodge directors foreshad- Philip Freier, has offered to bring owed a merger with the Anglican the parties together if they were Church’s St John’s Village at agreed to invite his involvement, but has no role in the governance or deWangaratta. Bishop Parkes did not attend cision-making about the future of Friday’s public meeting. Kellock Lodge."