The fight to keep the Byron Bay Feros aged care facility as a quality aged care facility for the community has seen another milestone achieved with a 40-year lease awarded to the site’s new operator St Andrew’s Village Byron Bay Ltd.
‘Hearing this, it just makes me feel secure,’ said Kate Smorty who was one of the key organisers and fighters against the closure of Feros Village.
In February 2023 Feros Care had announced that they would be closing the aged care facility Feros Village, Byron Bay with an aim to move away from direct aged care and look at a mixed-aged model for the site. However, residents and the broader community refused to accept the closure of the site. When Feros told them to leave many residents refused and they fought long and hard to retain the aged care facility that had been created by the vision of local George Feros.
George Feros had been a well-known site around the town raising money and awareness of a need for an aged care facility in Byron Bay for residents.
‘Since St Andrews have taken over the place is much better run and very pleasant,’ Kate told The Echo.
The workers are pleasant because the carers are happy to work for St Andrews. It makes their job pleasant and it makes it much better for us to have people who are happy in their job looking after us. They have made lots of improvements, renovations to the buildings and what not. And we are much happier than we used to be, even when Feros was at their best. They are approachable to talk to and they accept suggestions and we feel more valued.’
2064 lease
Crown Lands in the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) has now negotiated a long-term lease with St Andrew’s, which will see it operate the aged care facility until at least 2064.
St Andrew’s is a not-for-profit charitable organisation that has provided aged care in the Ballina region since 1983, and has significant aged care experience and financial capabilities.
As part of the lease agreement, St Andrew’s is investing about $3 million in capital works to ensure the site’s aged care facilities are refurbished and aged care standards are met.
The land where the aged care facility is located remains Crown land owned by the NSW government. Built assets on the reserve will remain in the ownership of the government for the community.
The reserve’s purpose is ‘Homes for the Aged’, requiring the site to be used for residential aged care in accordance with the Commonwealth Aged Care Act 1997, and in alignment with the Crown Land Management Act 2016.
‘The granting of this 40-year lease is a fantastic outcome that will ensure continued accommodation and essential health care services for existing and new residents, business certainty for St Andrew’s, and an ongoing aged care facility for the community and residents of Byron Bay,’ said Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper.
‘This long-term lease now provides our community with security for local aged care services,’ Federal Member for Richmond Justine Elliott said.
‘The awarding of the 40-year lease to St Andrew’s Village is a massive community victory and together we’ve secured the long-term future for this important aged-care facility for our area.’
90-year-olds took to the streets
St Andrew’s took over operation of the Marvell Street site in January on an interim licence after it was selected as the preferred proponent to negotiate a lease following a public expression of interest (EOI) process.
‘This is a huge win for the residents who found themselves in their 80s and 90s having to take to the streets and protest so that their voices could be heard, and their home saved,’ Member for Ballina Tamara Smith said.
‘Big thanks to the Minister and St Andrews for stepping in and turning the ship around so that our beloved residents can age in place and stay in the home they love and know.’
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