A Port Stephens retirement living and aged care provider is weighing up options to safeguard electricity supply.
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The NSW Department of Health recently updated its disaster planning policy that encourages facilities like Harbourside Haven to implement a “shelter in place” strategy that has prompted the review.
Port Stephens Veterans and Citizens Aged Care general manager Sheree Gemmell said recent weather events including the April 2015 super storm and February’s grid-sapping heatwave conditions had reinforced the need to review the options.
“In the old days aged care and hospitals were a priority in continuity in supply,” she said.
“Power generation is a big thing we’re looking at as we undertake renovations to our aged care facility.”
The company, with its independent living options at Shoal Bay, Fingal Bay and Salamander Bay, has enjoyed success with solar in the past.
“The company funded a project worth $500,000 across the three sites,” Ms Gemmell said.
“The residents were then able to save the 60 cents per kilowatt hour off their bill, from the energy that went back into the grid.”
Company chairman Gerry Mohan, a former union organiser, said the government needed to come to the party.
“We’re looking at solar on the aged care roofs, which is quite a big area, but there’s no incentive there,” he said.
”Facilities like ours could take quite a bit of pressure off the grid and we could be part of a trial.
“But it’s a big investment for the company without any incentive.”
The NSW Government Evacuation Decision Guidelines for Private Health and Residential Care notes that residents evacuated from residential or aged care facilities have fared poorly following removal from a place of familiarity.
“The context of the Evacuation Decision Guidelines is to develop facility resilience to a point where shelter in place is the foundation strategy followed by planning relocation and evacuation is only necessary when indications to do so exist,” the strategy states.
“Any decision taken to evacuate should be based on the likelihood and consequences of impact weighed against the increased risk or mortality and morbidity to the medically frail and aged residents within care facilities.”
Meanwhile The House of Representatives standing Committee on the Environment and Energy launched a new inquiry into modernising the power grid on Tuesday morning.
It will run until April 28. To participate in the survey phone 6277 4580 or email Environment.Reps@aph.gov.au.