The devastating bushfires that impacted Mallacoota on New Year's Eve highlighted a multitude of shortcomings in critical services in the remote community, the most pressing being a significant lack of housing and emergency accommodation.
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The Miva Hall at the Mallacoota District Health and Support Service (MDHSS), among other places, became a temporary home for displaced residents, many with high and specialist needs, who had nowhere else to go.
MDHSS staff strived to find them accommodation and chief executive officer Anne Mwagiru said the distressing plight of these vulnerable people, heightened by the COVID pandemic, prompted the organisation to move more swiftly on plans it already had in place to increase the capacity of its independent living units.
"We looked into a variety of options but we knew to address this immediate local need we would have to think outside the square," Ms Mwagiru said.
The solution was discovered only a few doors down at Ballymena Holiday units, five self-contained, ready-made villas, were on the market and MDHSS was successful in acquiring a loan to purchase them.
Settlement has now been finalised and tourists currently booked for the summer period will be transitioned out from March 2021.
The units will be renamed Miva Cottages, and MDHSS chairperson Annette Peisley, speaking on behalf of all board members, said the cottages would help alleviate a very real and pressing need in Mallacoota as the demand for housing was desperate.
"The lack of suitable and affordable housing in Mallacoota has been a growing problem for some years and it was exacerbated during the bushfires with the loss of MDHSS managed Kids Under Cover House," Mrs Peisley said.
"We are so excited to be able to increase our independent housing capabilities, as it will help reduce the stress experienced by some of our aged, disabled, family violence and vulnerable community members by providing independent living support."
Three of the units will be used for permanent residents and two will be reserved for emergency or respite care, with set needs-based criteria for accessing the accommodation and applicants to be assessed on their level of priority.
MDHSS has also purchased an adjoining block of land where it intends to expand and build additional independent living units and respite accommodation.
Ms Mwagiru said the vision of MDHSS was to grow and develop to meet the evolving needs of the community, and identifying gaps in the provision of healthcare for the Mallacoota and district community was a priority.
"This has been an extraordinary year and MDHSS has been on the ground providing every resource we can muster to help our community through it," she said.
MDHSS Community Advisory Committee secretary Fiona Sheean was delighted with the outcome of more housing for vulnerable community members.
"Out of the ashes of 2020, Miva Cottages are a wonderfully positive initiative to be celebrated and embraced," she said.
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