Mail - Upper Yarra Mail - 20th December 2016

Page 1

Upper Yarra

Mail Covering the Upper Yarra Region of the Yarra Ranges Shire

The Mail News Group would like to wish all readers a .....

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR

Tuesday, 20 December, 2016

A Mail News Group publication

Phone: 5957 3700 Trades and Classifieds: 1300 666 808

Home stays open By Kath Gannaway

Residents Sue Ingley and June Leith are staying home - pictured with lifestyle co-ordinator Wendy Schulz, Pastor Graeme Christian, David Reece Picture: KATH GANNAWAY and Peta Godenzi. 163474 “We have found out of this much wider engagement with the community. “We think people used to see this as the Adventist place, and now see it as a community place that provides a place for local people, employs local people and buys from local services.

12328060-RC43-16

YARRA RANGES GAS HEAT & COOL

•฀Split฀Systems฀ •฀Ducted฀Heating ฀฀฀and฀Cooling฀ •Gas฀Appliance฀Sales ฀฀฀and฀Installation

Ph: 5966 9999

1201048-HM40-15

SPECIALISTS IN

Wattyl Decking Oil 4Ltr $58 10Ltr $130 Can be Tinted

“It’s a good new story all round,” he said. Ms Godenzi welcomed the decision, which came out of the community’s determination not to accept the closure. She said it is sad that only 15 resi-

YARRA VALLEY

andscape

& Ga den

FOR ALL YOUR GARDEN & LANDSCAPING NEEDS -SAND-SOIL-MULCH-ROCKS-SLEEPERS-PAVERSPIPES-GATES-CEMENT-POTTING MIX, ETC. DELIVERY ALL AREAS

Computer Colour Matching

Warburton Highway, Wesburn 3799

OPEN: MON-FRI 6.30am-5.00PM฀•฀SAT 8.00am-12.00noon

5967 1367

9737 6833

24d John St., LILYDALE

dents of the 32 who were at the home in August, remained and said it was a tribute to them that they persevered. Ms Godenzi said the support for the campaign, and for her role in it, had been heartening. Continued page 3

•฀Gold฀Medal฀Award฀Winning฀Real฀Estate฀Agent •฀Your฀Independent฀Community฀Real฀Estate฀Agent •฀Sales฀and฀Rentals •฀Free฀No฀obligation฀Appraisal฀of฀your฀Property฀ •฀19฀Years฀Real฀Estate฀Experience •฀Local฀knowledge •฀We฀cover฀Reefton฀to฀Lilydale,฀Noojee฀to฀ Healesville •฀Ethics฀and฀Honesty฀in฀all฀our฀Real฀Estate฀ Transactions

1213143-RC03-16

option, the demand is sufficient to operate a viable home. He said the project renovations would be funded entirely from AdventCare funds with support from the Warburton Bendigo Community Bank for equipment.

1191831-HM30-15

“YES, the decision is to stay open ... no bones about that.” That was essentially the message residents, family members and staff at AdventCare Yarra Ranges aged care facility, and the wider Warburton community, were hanging on last week after four months of lobbying and negotiations to keep the home open. And, ultimately, it was the decision they got. AdventCare Victoria’s CEO David Reece moved quickly on Thursday, 15 December, to allay confusion over the long-awaited announcement by Chairman of AdventCare Victoria, pastor Graeme Christian, that “the board was still meeting” on ‘conditions’ around the future of the home and its residents. The announcement in August by AdventCare Victoria that the aged-care home would close within three months sent shockwaves through the community. The implications painted a bleak picture for the 28 residents who would have to find new homes away from the township, for the 50 staff, many of them breadwinners for their families, and for businesses who stood to suffer a massive commercial impact. Local businesswoman and chair of Warburton Valley CEDA (Community Economic Development Association) Peta Godenzi spearheaded the campaign, along with Warburton Adventist Church, to have the decision reversed. In a snapshot of the plan for the future, AdventCare said the facility would be renovated to a fully compliant, 42-bed, updated aged-care centre. The redevelopment will be done in two stages, adding 32 compliant rooms to the existing 10. The lounge and reception area will also be updated providing a modern home. Mr Reece said a number of factors had influenced the change of direction including a change of policy by the Federal Government which would equate to $100,000 a year for the facility. The issue of an oversupply of beds in the region was looked at using a different model of 45 beds, rather than 75 and Mr Reece said they now believe with community support and people in the Warburton Valley choosing AdventCare Yarra Ranges as their prime

Phone 5967 2001 2874 Warburton Hwy Wesburn


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.
Mail - Upper Yarra Mail - 20th December 2016 by Star News Group - Issuu