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Burt also added that currently there is ‘no case law on the interpretation of these provisions’.

She concluded that ‘Council would be able to enforce a pre-existing afternoon. Two of the homes have been raised (one open in the morning the other in the afternoon), so these open home events are more talks than tours’.

‘Bookings for each home’s tour/talk are strictly limited to 15 people, and are repeated three times. Photo ID must be provided on site before entering each home, and children must be by their parents’ side throughout the tour/talk.

‘I opened my home consent condition if an applicable residential property is used as STRA. The SEPP Housing would not apply’.

‘With the finalisation of our Planning Proposal imminent the need to establish an enforcement regime multiple times last year during its resilient rebuild, to help others see firsthand what some of these alternatives looked like. around this use is timely, and necessary’. the money to go back into Woodburn, where a lot of the film was shot.

‘We have been speaking with many people who have built back better, and the common thread in their stories is that they were helped by others and couldn’t have done it alone’.

‘All information, including contact details, can be found at mullumcares.com.au’.

As for finance/resource and legal implications, Burt says it will ‘need to be considered on a case-by-case basis as they are unknown at this time’.

Donations matched

The golf club agreed, and decided to match the donations that night – dollar for dollar.

At the end of the night, there was $750 in the buckets and Byron Bay Golf Club matched that amount.

The club made out a $1,500 cheque to the Northern Rivers Flood Action Group.

The group plans to make gardens around the Woodburn Memorial Hall.

Susanna Freymark is the film’s producer, along wth Jimmy Malecki

Children’s and General Dentist, Dr Damaris Fernandez and orthodontics, and has been a teacher of paediatric teenagers.

Dr Fernandez graduated in 2006 with a degree in Dentistry, and later studied a master’s degree in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics.

DOCTORS

Bettie Honey

Meera Perumalpillai-McGarry

Mann Ying Lim

Javin Chee

Dr

Mandy

6687 emphasised that they know the closure has been difficult for residents, families and the community.

‘The decision to close the Village was because, after 33 years, it no longer meets the expectations or requirements of a residential aged care facility. It cannot continue in its current form in a way that meets all the regulations.’

Ms Crouch says that residents were informed as soon as the decision was made, and that every resident is being given ample time and support to move to a new home of their choice, which may take months.

‘We communicated quickly to ensure residents were the first to know. No date has been set for the closure, and it is untrue residents were asked to move within 14 days.’

Yet Ms Crouch was unclear if residents will be given priority or an opportunity to be housed in the new accommodation at the Feros site.

‘We are in the early stages of understanding what might be possible on this site, and we will be consulting with the community as plans progress’.

Ms Crouch made no mention of a timeline for the opening of the new accommodation, and no date for when the current premises is to be vacated.

Member for Ballina, Tamara Smith (Greens), was also surprised by the news.

MPs surprised, disappointed

‘It has been a very distressing week for the residents at Feros and their families. Anyone who has a loved one in aged care knows that it is a huge and often traumatic process for families to find the right situation for their family member, and for them to develop connections and relationships in their new home. Nobody expects to see people in their 80s and 90s suddenly evicted from their homes.’

Ms Smith said she had spoken directly to Karen Crouch. ‘She has given me assurances that they are committed to finding alternative placements for all of their residents, no matter how long it takes for that transition, and that more than half of the current residents have already found suitable alternatives across the Feros Care aged care facilities in the region.

‘I will be monitoring this very closely, and staying in close contact with residents and families to ensure this is actually what happens.’

Member for Richmond, Justine Elliot, said she had been contacted by many concerned locals and said it is ‘a very distressing time for residents, family members, staff and our community’.

‘Under the Aged Care Act 1997, Feros Care is responsible for ensuring that residents are appropriately relocated and accommodated in suitable accommodation that meets their individual needs.

‘I have spoken directly to the minister for aged care about this matter, and the federal government will work with Feros to ensure that the residents continue to receive quality care and are supported throughout the process.’

Yet offspring of the elderly residents are outraged.

At a meeting at Feros on Wednesday, they spoke to The Echo about the previous day’s meeting .

Kate Smorty’s daughter, Dianne Brien, said the first she knew of the meeting to announce the closure was Monday evening.

Lara Rubinstein said she and her mother are devastated.

‘I only moved her up here in January. She was in a perfectly happy situation in Sydney. She was good. She was happy. She had a room in what’s supposed to be the best place in Sydney, but I wanted her to be closer.’

Lara is very distressed that her mother, who has been at the facility less than eight weeks, will now have to move again. ‘They did not do this in good faith. At the meeting, we asked them how long have you been looking at this – they said four months. One resident moved in just three weeks ago.’

Lara says her mother has been hysterical. ‘She just moved in. She doesn’t know what she’s going to do.’

Maree Eddings said her father has been at Feros for over five years.

‘He loves his place. My family moved here from Melbourne because there’s nothing like this in Melbourne. The whole family moved up here’.

Maree says the board are not transparent.

‘They had an audit, which they passed two weeks ago. There is no compliance issues on this facility at all.

‘And that is published in the minutes of their meeting’.

‘They have admitted there is no more money in this [current] structure for them; that going into intergenerational living is where they’re going to get their money.’

Dianne Brien said there were some non-compliance issues. ‘They’ve fixed a few things, and they’ve received accreditation, and they are accredited until May 2024’.

The late George Feros personally fundraised tirelessly for over 20 years to create a home for his ageing parents.

In 1976, George inspired a small group of local people, who established a committee and over the years it evolved into the Feros Care Board of Directors – the same group who will now close its doors.

Rally this Sunday at Rec Grounds, 3pm

Mandy Nolan says she has met with the residents and their families.

She says, ‘We have formed FFFR – Family & Friends of Feros Residents, and we have organised a rally for Sunday at 3pm at The Byron Rec Grounds’.

‘I told them we would fight for them, and this community is not one that will let them down.’

Kate Smorty, who was so distressed she was taken to hospital with heart palpitations last Wednesday evening, says she is still in a state of shock.

‘I have no idea what’s next. No idea. I mean, I’ll be the last person here, because I didn’t know where else to go. I can’t make other arrangements.

‘The press will have to come and take photos of two big burly policemen carrying me out!’

A moving tribute for Tony Barry

Joanna Stephens

Tony Barry’s tribute on Sunday at the Bruns Picture House was befitting for this larger than life, yet humble and loving Australian icon.

He was a quintessential Australian male of his epoch. A movie star, a father, a grandfather, a lover, a fighter, and a peace activist who fought the good fight till his very last days. We can all learn some of life’s lessons from his legacy, this man who would soothe so many with his dulcet tones, a voice that people knew before they recognised his face.

Our friendship grew firstly out of a love of acting, and then from our shared humanity. I started assisting him traverse the days of being wheelchair-bound and battling with fickle and declining health, visiting and caring for