Rescission motion submitted on sale of Blue Haven

Published on 16 May 2022

In last week’s confidential Extraordinary Meeting of Council, Councillors resolved, with a majority vote of seven for and two against, to begin the process of selling our aged care business, Blue Haven Illawarra.

The motion included specific conditions of sale to ensure the ongoing provision of high standards of care for residents and the good reputation and working environment for Blue Haven staff.

The minutes of the confidential meeting will be ratified in tomorrow night’s Ordinary Council meeting.

A rescission motion was received on the afternoon of Friday 13 May, submitted by Councillor Renkema-Lang, and supported by Crs Rice and Keast. Council is now working through the process to include this rescission motion in a future meeting.

It is expected the rescission motion will be debated and voted on in the proposed Extraordinary Council meeting next week on 23 May.

The debate to rescind the motion will be in the agenda as confidential since the motion and the report were confidential at the meeting on Thursday 12 May.  

Mayor Neil Reilly said: “I have considered the rescission motion and I will seek to have it included as a confidential item in next week’s proposed Extraordinary Meeting, where we will also be debating the draft Community Strategic Plan, the Development & Operational Plan and the Budget. The latter items will be debated in public.”

Kiama Council’s CEO Jane Stroud will continue to meet, as promised, with staff from the Council and Blue Haven.

However, since the rescission motion has been submitted, the planned meetings with Blue Haven residents, Independent Living Unit residents, Home Care recipients and their families will need to be held over until the rescission motion is finalised.