Mayor Neil Reilly has called an Extraordinary Meeting for Thursday 13 October for the sole purpose of discussing his rescind and amend motion, which will call for the sale of Blue Haven Bonaira.

“It will be a stronger and better directed motion than the one that was defeated at the September Meeting [which looked to call for expressions of interest (EOI) to explore the sale of Blue Haven as a whole or in parts],” says Mayor Reilly [Administration: can Kiama dodge the bullet?].

“The aged care facility is losing tens of thousands of dollars every week, and we can’t continue with that. We have more information about the level of the loss than we had three weeks ago.

“It is impossible for us to retain it [Blue Haven Bonaira] and provide the same level of service to the community as a council.”

The motion that is targeted for rescission called for EOIs to be called for the sale of the old nursing home site at Havilah Place and the Barney St Quarry, as well as considering other cash flow improvement measures [Rescission motion to reconsider Barney St Quarry decision].

As well as calling for the sale of Blue Haven Bonaira, the amended motion for the Extraordinary Meeting will:

• propose retaining Blue Haven Terralong and looking how best to use the Havilah Place site
• resume private sale negotiations with the leasee of Barney St Quarry.

“I consider Blue Haven Bonaira would be an extraordinarily good purchase for the right operator, because it has 58 independent living units and great facilities associated with the residential aged care operations,” says Mayor Reilly.

“Retaining the 203 independent living units at Terralong will provide us with profitability and other options going forward.

“My feeling is we have a great resource up there but we want to make it a benefit to the community.”

Blue Haven Terralong, with the old nursing home in the foreground

The Mayor has met with the Minister for Local Government, Wendy Tuckerman, today to tell her of the development.

“The Minister recognises the efforts we are putting in and the sacrifices we are making to try and establish a positive cash flow,” he says.

He says he was also heartened by the response from representatives of local precinct and community groups, when he ran through his motion at today’s quarterly meeting with them.

“Their understanding was very welcomed.”