At the March Greater Shepparton City Council meeting, councillors voted to lodge an expression of interest to purchase the former DP Jones Nursing Home but Cr O’Keeffe said there was still work to do on the proposal and a purchase was not locked in.
“Not in my eyes, but I think what we have been doing anyway is an expression of interest, we are just formally committed to following the process and what that might look like,” Cr O’Keeffe said.
Cr O’Keeffe said while the lengthy process was frustrating for the Murchison community, there were still important questions to be answered.
“What is our commitment, what is our ongoing obligation if we purchase the building, I think that is common sense,” she said.
“Obviously they are very passionate about making this happen but as a council we have to go through the process. It is a big project; it is a big commitment.”
Under the proposal council would purchase the building using existing Federal Government grant money and refurbish it. A preferred operator would then lease the building and operate a nursing home.
Aged care is not a core business of the council, and it has never owned such a facility.
“I am absolutely behind it, I want to see how we could make it happen, but we have to go through the process,” Cr O’Keeffe said.
Asked if the council was being asked to help solve a Federal Government problem Cr O'Keeffe had a different take.
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