This Wednesday, July 19, residents at Byron Feros are expected to vacate their rooms for the last time – they feel they are being kicked out of home.
Residents of the faculty and their families and supporters say they aren’t going anywhere.
The residents believe that Feros is their place, the legacy of a man who walked the street raising money so that Byron’s elders could age in their town with dignity and care.
A candlelight vigil and supper
The community has been invited by the residents to join them to show how much you care and to give support during a candlelight vigil and supper.
Dianne, daughter of staunch resident Kate Smorty, says it’s time to show our aging community support. ‘We need to keep our Feros Byron aged care village open for the “Tenacious Ten” elderly residents still there, and for our future elders who will benefit by having this community village.’
The vigil will be held tomorrow night, Tuesday July 18 at 6pm, in Marvell Hall (next to Feros).
Bring a plate to share for supper and a candle for a vigil. (All candles to be battery operated)
Byron Council should step in and show leadership against this ongoing bullying of the aged. It is totally disgusting/humiliating that we treat Elders in this manner. More to the point this whole saga begs for more answers. WHO ARE THE DEVELOPERS BEHIND THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT OF FERROS VILLAGE? Who on Council will support this proposed Development should the Developers be successful in their Bullying of the Aged? The whole process of the Management Committee claiming “ownership” of this Centre begs questions eg. Why did the Management Committee take ENTRY finances from an Aged person, without advising that person that the Village would be shortly closing for Development? At the end of day, the community deserves to ask the question “WHO ACTUALLY OWNS THE VILLAGE? What ACTUAL Legality supports all of this Residential Care grabbing?
TRANSPARENCY PLEASE! Should this Development go ahead it sets the most vile precedent for Business/Property/ relationships in the future. Byron is captured by greed and the consequent Authoritarian Relationships / Bullying/ Denial of Human Rights, Integrity etc. that support bulldozing Developers. Legally this does not pass the Integrity Test, uphold Rights of the Aged. Activists get this case to ICAC before more elders are tortured.
Sadly, the manner in which Development is pushing ahead in Byron (eg. West Byron, the proposed Bio-Energy Plant and more) one can perceive that Byron Council have lost sight of Ethics, Sentient Rights, Genuine Care and Accountability, Transparency, Representation, Democratic Processes. Self Interest reigns. Shame Shame Shame!!!
I remember George Feros collecting money to set up this centre. I also remember there was another “community” help organisation a few years ago that somehow managed to gain enough control that they sold off the property.
The management committee at Feros seems to be composed of members who have only joined in the last few years. Is it possible the committee has been “stacked” in a way that would allow them to effect this takeover of the property? Does anyone actually know who is behind this?
I am so sorry, sad and angered that our community has such things happening. If only the community had enough energy left to stop this outrageous takeover… Why did no one intervene to prevent any of the residents being forced to leave through intimidation.
Now that property is so valuable here… over recent years this seems to be happening more and more. Land slotted/donated for community use seems to be disappearing into developer’s hands. Is this another instance of nasty greed destroying community assets?