Welcome to Prom Country...

Accommodation and Services at Wilsons Promontory and surrounds: In and around all South Gippsland towns on the way to the Prom... Fish Creek, Foster, Grand Ridge, Inverloch, Koonwarra, Korumburra, Leongatha, Meeniyan, Mirboo North, Port Albert, Port Welshpool, Sandy Point, Stony Creek, Tarra Bulga, Toora, Venus Bay, Walkerville, Waratah Bay, Wonthaggi, Yanakie and Yarram.
Accessible Apartment Beach House  Bed and Breakfast Bicycle Friendly Cabin and Cottage	Caravan Park Couple Family Farm Stay Gay and Lesbian Friendly Group Lodge	Holiday House Luxury Motel and Unit Pet Friendly Self Contained

 

Service    Artist, Chocolate School, Cruises, Day Spa, Fishing Charter, Fuel, Go-Karts, Golf Club, Hire, Horse Racing, Menswear, Real Estate, Restaurant, Scenic Flights, Soap Shop & Tours

 

Discover the secrets of South Gippsland:

• Grand Ridge    Tourist drive through fern forests, rolling cattle pastures, mountain ashes and plantations
• Koonwarra    Boutique shops, day spa, farmers market and rail trail
• Mirboo North    Brewery, markets, music festivals and rail trail
• Stony Creek    Go-karts and horse racing
• Tarra Bulga    Ancient myrtle beech, lush tree ferns, mountain ash forest, walking tracks and waterfalls
• Toora    Bird hide, boat ramp, historic buildings, waterfalls and wind farm
• Wonthaggi    Shopping and business capital of the region
• Yarram    Admire the historic buildings and close to the 90 Mile Beach  

Experience the South Gippsland country lifestyle: Fish Creek, Foster, Meeniyan, Korumburra and Leongatha.

Explore the South Gippsland coast: Inverloch, Port Albert, Port Welshpool, Sandy Point, Walkerville, Waratah Bay and Yanakie.

NEW LISTINGS!

Accommodation Ocean View Cottage (Walkerville) Wits End Country Cottages (Grand Ridge) Gooseneck Pottery: House (Korumburra) Surfside Resort Town Houses (Sandy Point) Zenergie: Villas (Inverloch) Chester Hill Bed & Breakfast Country Retreat (Yarram) Ripple Beach House (Inverloch) Retreat 2 Port (Port Welshpool) Lavender Cottage (Venus Bay) A Funky Sandy Beach Shack (Sandy Point)

Services Art Gallery of Inverloch (Inverloch) Koonwarra Food Wine & Produce Store (Koonwarra) Stony Creek Go-Karts (Stony Creek) Bass Strait Fishing Charters (Port Welshpool) First National Prom Country Real Estate (Meeniyan) Nooramunga Sailing Tours (Port Albert) Pet Portraits and Family Homes (Leongatha) Caca-oh! Chocolate School (Tarra Bulga) Classic Car Rentals (Leongatha) Prom Country Bike Hire (Meeniyan)

 

Purchase a Gift Voucher for accommodation and services at Wilsons Promontory and surrounds. News - Australia - South Gippsland - Foster - The Mirror     Reflecting Upon Local News in South Gippsland • Foster • Toora • Fish Creek • Welshpool • Yanakie   Email: mirror@tpg.com.au Phone: Advertising - 5682 2577 News - 5682 2205 Fax: 5682 2876 Wednesday, June 17, 2009 Front Page News Bequest boosts aged care building fund A LOCAL benefactress who was a resident of Prom View Lodge high-level aged care facility at Toora has generously bequeathed $92,000 to Prom Country Aged Care [PCAC] with no strings attached. At the request of the family, the identity of donor has not been made public. PCAC Board Chair Rob Knight is thrilled with the donation and advised that the Board had decided to put the money into its building fund for the proposed new all-in-one facility at Foster. “We’ve been extremely fortunate to receive this money and it came as a total surprise out of the blue,” Mr. Knight conceded. “We take it as a big compliment because it came from a resident who clearly believed that their level of care warranted such generosity and they obviously appreciated the support they had received.” The PCAC Board expects to hear in the next few weeks whether their application to the Federal Government for significant funding towards the estimated $11 million “green field” project, which would incorporate high and low level care facilities in one location handy to Foster’s excellent medical and allied health facilities, has been successful. While determinedly optimistic that their application will be favourably received, Mr. Knight indicated that the organisation would re-apply for the funding in the event they were not successful first time around and would learn from the experience on how to strengthen PCAC’s case. “We would also start approaching philanthropic trusts for grants,” he added. The Board has not yet made a final decision about where in Foster to site the new facility apart from wanting it close to the town’s health precinct. PCAC has approached South Gippsland Hospital [SGH] about the possibility of using some land in their ownership, however Mr. Knight said that an answer had not yet been received because SGH is currently working through a site and future needs planning process of its own. “Meanwhile, we are fully committed to maintaining a top level of care to our residents and we are continuing to invest in both the Banksia Lodge and Prom View Lodge sites so that we continue to meet accreditation standards,” Mr. Knight said. A recent example of such expenditure involved approximately $30,000 to upgrade heating and cooling at Prom View Lodge. “However if we can build a single facility, we’ll be able to save more than $120,000 each year by not duplicating kitchen, laundry and utilities such as such as gas, electricity and water. “We wouldn’t see a reduction in staff but we could be looking at a different mix of jobs to meet changing needs, with current staff being already being offered the chance to improve and broaden their skills and formal training”, he explained. “Due to our dependence on the hospital, medical centre, pharmacy, radiology, physiotherapy and allied health facilities, Foster was chosen as the location on the basis that it is the best long term option for PCAC to serve the aged care needs for all of Corner Inlet’s communities, which is the area PCAC serves”, Mr. Knight emphasised. PCAC general Manager Joanne Stringer added that “aging in place”, which means being able to move from low level care to high level care without moving sites and leaving friends, staff and familiarity, is also hugely important to residents both emotionally and psychologically. Ms Stringer said, “Through our employees, there are about 100 local families dependent on us as well as our residents, so we have to make sure we remain financially viable and the place of choice for aged care.” Mr. Knight concluded, “With such a large project, we have to start moving in stages now, even though the whole process could take eight to 10 years to complete.”

 

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News - Australia - South Gippsland - Leongatha - The Great Southern Star

 

Published at Leongatha for South Gippsland

Email: news@thestar.com.au Phone: 5662 2294 Fax: 5662 4350 Tuesday, June 16, 2009 Front Page News

CEO crisis

SOUTH Gippsland Shire Council was plunged into another executive crisis after its chief executive, Paul Bawden announced his shock resignation last Tuesday. Mr Bawden will see out the financial year. He will beat a hasty retreat, giving only three weeks’ notice, leaving on June 30. Mayor Jim Fawcett thanked Mr Bawden for his contribution to council. “Paul also engineered a major organisational restructure that went live in January and has cemented a solid management team in place that is working closely with councillors,” Cr Fawcett said. Cr Fawcett said Mr Bawden had “discussed his resignation with me last month. “He is looking for a new direction. We have a lot to thank Paul for. He introduced a lot of reforms and tackled some harder matters, such as Coal Creek,” he said. Putting a positive spin on events, Cr Fawcett said the resignation provided “opportunities for us to appoint a chief executive who reflects the aspirations of the new council. “We are seven months into our four-year term and we’ll be looking for a new CEO who would work with us for the next three years.” Cr Jennie Deane, who was Mayor when the Coal Creek row erupted in November 2007 said Mr Bawden had “contributed highly (to council) in the time he was here. “I worked closely with him when I was mayor and he brought new ideas and energy with him. Coal Creek was tough. But the proof is in the pudding. It has become a brilliant success, which was due to Paul’s drive in putting our (council’s) vision into practice.” Cr Bob Newton, who clashed with Mr Bawden over the demolition of the Coal Creek buildings, said he found the outgoing chief executive “okay to work with”. “He made major changes and I was against him about what happened at Coal Creek, bulldozing those buildings. But there’s nothing outstanding he has achieved in the two and a half years he’s been here.” Another Bawden detractor, Cr David Lewis was brief. “Paul is a very hard worker. He is an intelligent man and I wish him well in his future career.” Mr Bawden presided over major organisational changes and ensured continued debt reduction under his reign. But it is debatable whether his appointment provided any stability internally after he oversaw a mass exodus of senior staff, dissatisfied with his management style, last year. He leaves with two relative newcomers, Andrew McEwen (as director sustainability) and Dirk Holwerda (director corporate and community services) sharing the three directorships with Anthony Seabrook (director infrastructure). Mr Seabrook left briefly, taking up a senior position with Bass Coast Shire Council, but returned. The appointments were made late last year. Apart from the three directors, two other senior managers will be relied on to keep council on a steady course. They are council’s finance manager Tom Lovass and planning manager Chris Wightman. Mayor Jim Fawcett said tomorrow council would discuss who to appoint as interim chief executive by July 1. Mr Holwerda was acting chief executive when Mr Bawden went overseas for three and a half weeks recently. He is likely to get the interim nod. Council will start advertising for a permanent replacement within a fortnight. Council has had a disastrous run with its chief executives. With such a poor track record, council may find it difficult to attract someone who is prepared to stay longer than 18 months or two-and-a-half years. In contrast, Allan Bawden (no relation to Paul Bawden) has been chief executive at Bass Coast Shire Council for nearly 15 years, since Jeff Kennett’s council mergers. In the last six years, since August 2003, South Gippsland Shire Council has seen four chief executives come and go. When Peter Bull resigned in 2003 after three years in the top seat, Joseph Cullen took over in August 2003. He resigned in November 2005 after less than 18 months at the helm. Stop-gap Neil D. Armstrong took over as interim chief for 12 months until November 2006, when Mr Bawden was appointed. “My time at South Gippsland has included many challenges and I leave enriched from the experience,” Mr Bawden said in a prepared statement. “I would like to acknowledge the efforts of so many people in providing professional support to myself, council and the wider community. I am keen to follow some new directions and I leave confident that we have a strong management team in place.” As well as seeking a new chief, council is also changing staff in other departments.

 

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Wilsons Promontory and surrounds: 110 places to stay. Book online or phone the property.
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Accessible Apartment Beach House  Bed and Breakfast Bicycle Friendly Cabin and Cottage

Caravan Park Couple Family Farm Stay Gay and Lesbian Friendly Group Lodge

Holiday House Luxury Motel and Unit Pet Friendly Self Contained