By BRIDGET COOK
THE City of Casey is giving power back to the people to decide how a grant which goes to Casey’s retirement villages is spent.
In 2008 more than 1500 residents from retirement villages across Casey turned out to a rally in Cranbourne to lobby the council for some rate relief.
The council agreed to provide each village with a grant, which could be divided among each resident or towards an infrastructure project in the village.
Blue Hills Retirement Village resident Margaret McLean, who led the fight in 2008, said over the years the wording on the grant terms had changed and lost its original intent.
However, at Tuesday night’s council meeting, councillors resolved to change the grant conditions at the request of residents – back to how they always intended it to be.
“When the grant was introduced, it didn’t stipulate how it had to be used,” Ms McLean said.
“We, the residents, could decide whether it was divided among each person so we could have some assistance with paying our rates and service fee or towards a project for the village.
“About three years ago though, the wording changed and it stated that we had to specify what infrastructure or project the money would be used for.”
Ms McLean said retirement villages wanted to have the choice whether they received an individual portion, or whether it would be better for a project.
“Every retirement village is different and each year we might change how we think it would be best spent,” she said.
“If people are falling on hard times, which we are now, it would be better that year for us to be able to use it for some rate relief than say towards a piano or new carpet in the community hall.
“We fought long and hard for this, so we want it to be returned to its original intent.”
City of Casey mayor Amanda Stapledon moved the motion on Tuesday night to have the grant conditions changed.
Councillors resolved to have the grant made conditional on the resident committee of the relevant retirement village having input and making the ultimate decision as to how the funds are allocated — whether to individual residents or for a project within the village.
“Several retirement villages have contacted me expressing concern that the intent of the recommendation that was passed in 2009 has become something quite different,” Cr Stapledon said.
“Retirement village residents have expressed a desire to determine what the grant funds are used for and this was always the intent of council when the resolution was passed.
“I am seeking that the original resolution of council is communicated to the villages and their residents so that this remains true to its original intent.”
