Federal Labor has walked away from its 2025 election commitment to deliver additional respite beds for the ACT announcing today that the full $10 million will be spent on an upgrade at Burrangiri rather than an expansion of the facilities.
ACT Independent Senator David Pocock said the electorate of Bean and the broader ACT community had been let down by the Labor Government failing to deliver additional respite beds for the people of Canberra.
While community pressure at the last election, including from Independent Candidate for Bean Jessie Price and Independent MLA Fiona Carrick helped save Canberra’s largest respite facility, the government is not delivering on the promise they made to the electorate.
Finance Minister Katy Gallagher, Health Minister Mark Butler and Aged Care Minister Sam Rae were clear in their press releases that this funding would deliver “either a new facility, or to extend an existing facility” - “more aged care respite beds” - “new respite beds in the ACT” respectively.
A proposal from a local residential aged care provider has been submitted that utilises space already designed for future aged care accommodation to provide 18 additional ensuite high-care respite rooms, delivered within approximately 18 months. This would have allowed safety upgrades to Burrangiri and an additional 18 respite beds, but appears to have been overlooked.
Instead, it appears approximately $2.7 million will be spent on essential fire safety upgrades at Burrangiri and a further $7.4 million in broader building improvement works, including to “refresh” the finishes on the building without adding to the respite bed capacity at all.
While there was good initial engagement with independents and community representatives from the ACT and Federal governments about the future of Burrangiri and respite care , further feedback provided has been ignored and they moved to a decision without additional consultation or discussion.
Senator Pocock said this is exactly what erodes people’s trust in politics.
“Canberra has a shortage of respite beds and we were promised additional beds at the last election, now we see federal Labor walking away from that commitment 18 months later,” Senator Pocock said.
“We were promised more respite beds. It is so frustrating when there is a proposal from an aged care provider that would have allowed safety upgrades to Burrangiri and 18 more respite beds within the funding envelope. Why are governments spending money on a plan that won’t deliver a single extra bed instead of exploring these proposals from the community and aged care sector?
“This is in the same week that we learn more than 6,400 older Australians died in one year while waiting for Support at Home care they had been approved for but hadn’t received.
“The Burrangiri “upgrade” is unfortunately so typical of the lack of ambition and unwillingness to work with the community on solutions to deliver the outcome we need that we see too often from governments.
“I commend the community groups, especially Save Burrrangiri Action Group and Ms Carrick for the huge amount of time and effort they have invested in pushing for a better outcome.
“I’m hugely disappointed about where we have landed as I am sure so many people in our community will be too. My message to Labor is simple: do what you say you’re going to do.”