AGM Season 3: South Port Community Residential Home

The two strong themes of this year's AGM were the redevelopment of the facility and the quality of care provided at SouthPort.

Chairperson Lyn Allison explained that the state government has made the site at the rear of the St Vincents Boys Home [pictured here] available for not for profit community based aged care. SouthPort and Claremont have combined to bid for the site. The outcome of the bid will not be known until after the election - but everyone is hoping it will be soon after that. As Lyn said: their experience has taught them to be 'patient and prepared.'

The pressure on the organisation is revealed in some of the figures provided in the Annual Report: Staff wages increased by 4% and utility bills went up 18.8% whilst Commonwealth grants went up by only 1.7%. Nevertheless, a small surplus was made.

After a magnificent afternoon tea, I spoke with a resident who had grown up on the shores of Albert Park Lake where her father was the only boat builder. She sewed sails from japara because 'you can't make sails that let the wind through'.