Caption: Pictured this week in front of the site for the new age care residential facility were, Back row: Ben Stocks, (Masonic Village board member), Peter Orr (Masonic Village board member), Col Lawrence (President Residents committee), Paul Atherton (Masonic Village board member) and Andrew Cusack (Galong Hostel board member).
Front row: Connie McFadyen (Masonic Village board member), LaReine Beal (Masonic Village board member), Jim Henman (Masonic Village board member), Father Keogh (Galong Hostel board member) and Mr Brian Dunn (Chairman Masonic Village board).
plans are now well underway for a new aged care facility to be built in Murrumburrah after an understanding was reached between The Royal Freemasons’ Benevolent Institution and Southern Cross Care.
The Royal Freemasons’ Benevolent Institution (RFBI), have agreed to sell the Harden-Murrumburrah Masonic Village and adjoining lands in Swift St, Murrumburrah to Southern Cross Care (Operators of the Galong Hostel).
In a joint announcement made last Thursday, Mr John Ireland, CEO of Southern Cross Care and the RFBI’s CEO, Mr Alex Shaw, said that the new Southern Cross development would bring a very welcome addition to the Harden-Murrumburrah region.
The current Harden-Murrumburrah Masonic Village will become known as the Southern Cross Freemasons Village and the acquisition of the buildings and land, will also allow for Southern Cross to construct a new aged care facility for the citizens of Harden-Murrumburrah.
“This is a wonderful outcome for local aged people, their families and carers, as they can now be assured of having a new and modern aged care facility in their township in the near future,” Mr Ken Thompson, President of RFBI said.
With its close proximity to the Murrumburrah-Harden District Hospital and associated services the new facilities will be ideally situated.
The decision to sell the Masonic Village follows a vote of approval from the existing residents, after a meeting with RFBI’s CEO, Mr Alex Shaw.
All residents of the village will have access to transfer to the new aged care facility, and it is also proposed that further self care units are to be built in the future as part of the new Southern Cross Freemasons Village.
A development application for the new Residential Aged Care living facility will be lodged by late March with construction on the $6 Million project is intended to commence sometime in September. Local builders and local products will be used were possible, which should prove to be a further boost to the town.
Residents of the Galong Hostel will be able to relocate to the new facility in Murrumburrah and the new location will negate one of the problems faced by the facility in Galong, that being the distance from the Hostel to the nearest Hospitals of Boorowa or Harden. The new residential aged care facility will have 42 beds; an increase from the 32 beds currently at the Galong aged care facility.
Board members of both the Masonic Village and Galong Hostel will join forces to form a new board of directors, including Brian Dunn Chairman of the Masonic Village and John Killick from the Galong Hostel.
The new project will mean Harden-Murrumburrah will have a range of health care facilities from, self care (Masonic Village), low care (new residential care facility), and high care (Harden Hospital Nursing Home).