Business View Oceania | March 2020

53 54 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA MARCH 2020 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA MARCH 2020 WONGABURRA SOC I ETY In two years, the old one will be demolished and replaced with a brand new structure, replete with a new kitchen, laundry, activities room, storage, car park and modern, state-of-the-art facility with 64 to 72 beds for new residents. Competition is strong in the industry but Wongaburra is strategically planning for their own continued success. According to Singh, “One thing that’s quite obvious in the Australian aged care industry right now, about 47 percent are the private organisations who are providing the aged care facilities and around 53 percent are not-for-profit church groups and charitable organisations. A lot of private groups have the cash so when they come into the area they have a brand new building, that’s where we have to compete now– to have at least that ambience. It’s a big decision for the family to put their loved one in an aged care facility so we first try to please them with the size of the room, the quality of the finish, before they come down to the level of care we provide. Wongaburra is a charity run by a Board and we are looking in the next year to have that new building to offer.” Brown adds, “We are quite unique because we are in a rural area and kangaroos come up close to the windows; residents can see cattle grazing, beautiful sunsets. With the next stage we’re building, we’re going to try to take advantage of that so they can see from their verandah or walk outside, instead of seeing it on TV like facilities in the city.” Wongaburra not only has beautiful surroundings but is well supported by the community. Close to 40 volunteers gladly work there without any expectation of being paid. There is also exceptional support from the Ladies Auxiliary who founded Wongaburra and have been involved since its inception and today they do charity functions to raise money and create awareness. The Wongaburra Board has a quarterly general meeting where updates are reported on the status of quality of care, compliance, finance and the community can give direct feedback. CHSP. We do all three plus respite and we also get daily respite volunteers from the community that come in for a couple hours, give the families a break and give that social interaction. So we cater to all services that we’re able to get government funding and support for.” Wongaburra employs a staff of 185, plus casual workers. The property itself is 5.5 hectares and takes full advantage of its scenic rural setting. Infrastructure-wise, the facility is comprised of a new 64-bed modern building and two older buildings that are part of the original Wongaburra structure. Being a not-for-profit and charitable community-run organisation, money is invested back into the care, including staffing costs. However, 10 years ago there were enough reserves for construction of a new building with 64 beds. Since then, around 30 percent (16 bedrooms) of the old building have been fully renovated but the rest is still the older structure. At the moment there is strategic master planning being done for a new building.