THE Catholic Church has formally turned over the land and building used by Bombala's Currawarna Assisted Living hostel to the community. The not-for-profit organisation which manages the facility, reopened with a new name and new operating model in February after closing as a nursing home two years ago, has received a signed executed deed of gift signifying the donation of the land. Currawarna Assisted Living Inc (CAL) chairman, Dr Keith Campbell, said he was excited and relieved the process had come to a close. "The executed deed of gift was the final process we needed to get through as we have moved through re-opening the building for use as a facility for older people," he said. Under the agreement, the Church transfers land in its ownership across to CAL for the purpose of aged care. "We take all responsibility and ownership of the land but under the terms, if CAL stops providing aged care through that facility, the church can ask for the land back, up for 30 years." The arrangement was similar when Currawarna was original set up as an aged care facility by the community, with fundraising and government grants, in the late 1970s. "The Canberra Goulburn Diocese of the Catholic Church signed over the land to Southern Cross Care which managed the facility, but once SCC stopped providing services, we fought to get the facility back to the church and therefore the community under a similar deed of gift," Dr Campbell said. "That 30 year clause provides the community with a safety valve that the facility won't ever be sold or transferred. "We are extremely relieved. This tidies up the end of the business plan we did two-years-ago." Currawarna now has 13 residents with more people considering moving in after inspecting the facility. "It usually takes a few weeks for a person to make a decision after after a look," Dr Campbell said. "We don't put pressure on, we respect their needs for a slow and considered decision." The numbers were, he said, right on track with the business plan. "We have taken on an additional staff member as the demand for our services is starting to build and will look to put on more staff and trainees as time goes on. "We were all conscious it wasn't going to fill overnight, we have to get it to a point of being cash flow neutral, but that will come as we go through." CAL's next project is a bus to take its own and local residents around to their medical and social appointments. "We have been chosen as the charity recipient for ANBC Bombala and will put whatever funds we receive into the bus service," Dr Campbell said. "In the interim the RSL has a bus we may be able to use on an ad hoc basis and we are talking about that at the moment." Dr Campbell invited anyone thinking about moving into an assisted living facility to contact Currawarna and organise a tour. "We are located in a beautiful town, across the road from growing medical facilities, with a wonderful community," he said.
