This afternoon's Extraordinary Meeting of Council has taken the sale of the Blue Haven Terralong St ILUs off the table until the business case for doing so can be compared against other options.

In doing so, it unanimously supported moving forward with the sale of all assets and operations of Blue Haven Bonaira, including appointing aged care experts, StewartBrown Advisory, to coordinate the tender and divestment process.

After the meeting, Mayor Neil Reilly said, “My big fear was we wouldn’t be able to move forward on the Bonaira site, as I thought that if we reinforced the decision we made in October we would be a lot better off.”

Other amendments were for Council to seek a dilapidation report on the condition of Blue Haven Terralong (to establish what needs to be spent on it), look at subdividing Havilah Place (old nursing home from the Blue Haven site (moved by Councillor Matt Brown) and continue progress to excise the community garden from operational to community land (moved by Councillor Mark Croxford).

A protester before the Meeting

“I think overall it was a really good decision, and it improved councillors understanding of what’s at play,” said Councillor Karen Renkema-Lang.

“I also hope it can allow Kiama Council to focus on improving their financial management, fixing their system problems which will allow them to produce better reports, and addressing the rest of the performance improvement order.”

Cllr Renkema-Lang was successful in adding an amendment an earlier motion that consideration of possible property sales should not be based on purely financial assessment but involve a quadruple bottom line by also taking into account the community, the environment and civic leadership through community consultation.

“The property divestment plan identifies a whole lot of other assets that should be considered in a comparative way with Terralong and the community consulted,” she said.

Councillor Mark Croxford, who spoke strongly at the meeting about the need to sell Blue Haven to clear debts and replenish reserves, said after the Meeting, “Removing Terralong wasn’t ideal, but everything else just makes good business sense. We have to improve our financial position.

“If we were to have rejected that motion in its entirety, that would have been a fast track into administration. There were bigger downsides at play.”

Alan Holder, Chair of the Blue Haven Action Group [Terralong ILU residents oppose sale] is ecstatic but prepared for a long fight.

"It’s another step along the way," he said.

"We have won a small victory today but the war will continue on, I am 100 per cent sure on that.

"There is going to be a whole lot more discussion, negotiation, and input from either side along the way."

He is suspicious of the quick timing of the meeting, and is glad Councillor Kathy Rice was able to videoconference in from Vietnam, believing the outcome could have been quite different without her.

All of the other recommendations at the Meeting were supported by councillors.

Further reports on issues discussed at the Meeting will be covered in future posts.