The ACT government will support the Salvation Army to operate Burrangiri Aged Care Respite Centre for another two years. The facility was slated to close next month with the reversal seen by some as a win for community advocacy. The government says this is a short-term measure and the centre needs major works.
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00:00When 101-year-old Joan Plunkett heard the Burangiri Aged Care Respite Centre was set to close, she couldn't believe it.
00:10I was disgusted because the people that were there really needed to be there.
00:20Her late husband was a regular respite client and she also recently had a three-week stay at the Salvation Army Run Centre.
00:27All the carers are delightful and nothing's a trouble.
00:35So closing the centre down like that would be absolutely detrimental for the Canberra community and quite catastrophic really because to try and secure additional beds, there are no beds.
00:50And that closure seemed certain after the ACT government declared it was no longer fit for purpose and needed extensive renovations.
00:59But the centre has now been given a two-year lifeline.
01:03And we worked really hard to address all of the legal and procurement and other issues with the health directorate to enable this short-term extension.
01:12I'm very pleased. Burangiri Respite Services are an essential service to the community. Our carers will be very happy.
01:21Federal Labor promised $10 million during the election campaign for respite aged care beds in the ACT.
01:28Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith says she's reached out to her Commonwealth counterpart to now also consider co-funding Burangiri's contract extension.
01:36Two years is nothing. You know, that'll go by very quickly. And the need will be greater. So they need to get busy and start on a decent-sized replacement.
01:53Words of advice from those in the know.