Barrier Daily Truth

‘Don’t dump beds’

Thursday, 2nd February, 2012

Black calls on Labor councillor to oppose aged care transfer

By Erica Visser

Former Broken Hill mayor, Peter Black, has urged Labor Councillor Darriea Turley to oppose the privatisation of 40 local aged care beds in order to sink the plan.

Mr Black is still to decide whether he will try to return to local politics and run for mayor in the September elections.

His comments came amidst a debate over whether City Council should pass the licenses for 40 Shorty O’Neil beds to a new site which would be run by private organisation, Southern Cross Care.

Council is waiting on the recommendations of an operational report into Shorty O’Neil village which is due for completion this month.

Several Independent councillors have opposed the privatisation and Mr Black said that Cr Turley should join them to “support Labor values”.

“Make no mistake, if Darriea withdraws her support in favour of the transfer of the facility, it will not go ahead,” Mr Black said.

“The grouped Independents are solid on this issue, as is everyone whom I have spoken to.

“Simple sums indicate that the three Labor votes together with the three grouped Independent votes total a majority of six out of ten votes on City Council.

“Darriea should start by at least consulting with the trade union movement before voting to destroy its members’ jobs.”

He said he was angered by the suggestion that Shorty O’Neil Village was intended as an independent living facility and was not suitable for aged care.

“The facts are that a Labor Council prepared the successful submission and a Federal Labor Government agreed to contribute $2 million to its cost,” he said.

“Labor should have no objection to the private sector providing more beds if it wishes to do so, but not at the expense of destroying the purpose for which the village was built.”

Mrs Turley said that Mr Black’s comments were “misleading” as councillors had not yet voted on the move.

She said that the issue was not based on politics, but caring for aged people.

“All we have agreed to is a review on services. At no stage did we say we were closing Shorty O’Neil. That is not an option.

“We do have to look at the options for our family members so we can stop older family members being sent away.

“But it’s not an option to close and job loss is not an option.”

Mayor Wincen Cuy said that Mr Black was “out of date” on the issue.

He said that the comments were premature given that Council was still waiting for the Village operational review recommendations.

“I don’t know what everyone is getting up in arms about. This is once again scare-mongering,” Mayor Cuy said.

“All we are doing, and all we voted on, is undertaking a review of the Shorty O’Neil Village.”