We are not far off it being one year since I was elected the first Mayor of the new Dubbo Regional Council. I regret that I have to report what I consider our community’s first real and serious defeat since Wellington became part of the new council area. The announcement that the Bellhaven Aged Care facility is without doubt one of the most troubling and confusing announcements that I have seen in my near 20 years of local government experience.
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Last Thursday I heard via rumour that Bellhaven was to close. I dismissed this rumour as merely that - a rumour. After all, why would Orana Gardens Ltd (who owns Bellhaven) seek to close an aged care facility at a time when the national aged population is rapidly growing and at a time when its nearly universally agreed that Wellington has green shoots of economic growth and was looking upward.
Knowing that, I reasoned if the owners of Bellhaven had troubles and were potentially closing they would have at least explored the potential sale of the business and spoke to council. My logic was telling me that there was no way a major employer of the town that employed almost 50 people could simply close shop without even a whisper to council. However it was confirmed on Friday that Bellhaven would be closed in early October.
On Monday senior council officers and myself met with the president and CEO of Orana Gardens Ltd to discuss Bellhaven. I asked about the site, the business and what council could do to help save the facility and importantly why didn’t the board of directors talk to council in the first place.
Their view was that they “didn’t have to”. I cannot begin to even describe in words the frustration and disappointment council has with the decision to close. This is clearly a blow to Wellington. Sadly your council has been left out of the loop and our influence to help achieve a better outcome is now practically non-existent.
