Federal Labor commits to additional $10 million for aged care respite beds in Canberra after facility closure announced

Australia Broadcast Center

22-04-2025

Former carer Deb Stevens doubts her late mother, Gwen, could have stayed out of full-time aged care for as long as she did without the day program at Burrangiri aged respite care centre.
"I retired to care for my mother, and I had her at home for almost three years," Ms Stevens said.
Gwen Lind attended Burrangiri's day respite sessions.
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Supplied: Deb Stevens
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"During the very early days I heard about Burrangiri respite … so I started to use that program a few days a week.
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[Then] as my mother deteriorated I started to use it five days a week.
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Ms Stevens said the program was a "lifeline" as her mother's vascular dementia began to advance dramatically.
"I could take her in the morning, collect her in the afternoon, and she was looked after by the most glorious staff who cared very much for her," Ms Stevens said.
"[They] cared very much, also, for the carers. Every day when I went in I felt supported, I felt encouraged.
"They gave me support, they gave me love, they gave me so much validation to keep going."
The ACT government has yet to determine what it's going to do with the Burrangiri facility.
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ABC News: Joel Wilson
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But in February the ACT government announced the 15-bed Salvation Army-run facility in Rivett would be shut in July when its contract expires.
At the time ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said the closure of the 25-year-old facility was necessary because the building was no longer "fit for purpose", needing major renovations that would require an extended closure anyway.
Now federal Labor has promised $10 million for respite aged care beds in the ACT — through a new or existing provider — if it's returned to government.
Ms Stevens would like to see some of that put towards keeping Burrangiri open, and Independent ACT Legislative Assembly Member Fiona Carrick agrees.
"We would like to see the government look at using the federal money to do whatever maintenance is required at Burrangiri and keep it open until the new facility is available," Ms Carrick said.
Independent Murrumbidgee MLA Fiona Carrick says Burrangiri should receive as much of the federal funding as it needs to keep it open until a new facility can be built.
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ABC News: Michael Barnett
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But Ms Stephen-Smith said using the federal funding to upgrade the facility might be easier said than done.
"We are open to both conversations with the commonwealth, but I do think it's very unlikely that will be the outcome,"
she said.
"Any delivery on this commitment would have to abide by all the rules and procurement that the commonwealth has in place and also that the facility would need to be an accredited aged care facility.
"[Burrangiri] is not fit for purpose for a modern respite facility, the Salvation Army's contract was coming to an end, it was going to go to market for a new provider — we were going to have to close the facility for refurbishment in any case."
ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith says it's unlikely Burrangiri will be the recipient of the federal funding boost.
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ABC News: Adam Kennedy
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The required refurbishment includes resolving electrical and safety issues and increasing the number of bathrooms in the facility, which currently has only two.
Ms Stephen-Smith said she's confident other aged care respite providers will be able to fill the gap left by Burrangiri's closure, but for Ms Stevens that doesn't offer much comfort.
"There may be a few issues with the building, but that isn't enough to rip the rug out from under people who use both the day program and the residential services," Ms Stevens said.
"Being able to go on holidays, to do things that need to be done out of town, or just to have a break is the difference between being able to look after somebody and not."
The ACT government is considering using the facility for other community services, such as a drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre, pending public consultation and approval.