Under the Plan, Hillgrove House and Casuarina will lose a large part of the concessions on water and sewerage access charges they now have, as well as water allowances, while The Oaks Country Village will lose those charges plus additional residential sewerage charges.

Even though council resolved in the Management Plan to leave the impost at 33 per cent of the total (see story this page) there will still be a significant cost to the organisation.

The potential total cost to Hillgrove House and Casuarina was estimated to be in the vicinity of $58,000 a year, while The Oaks was going to have to find an extra $55,000.

While those figures will be reduced after council’s resolution, Simon Owens, a director and treasurer of Bega and District Nursing Homes which operates the three facilities, said “hopefully it will stay the same in future years or even go back to the way it was”.

In a presentation to council on Tuesday Mr Owens said that while The Oaks “just about breaks even financially” the other two facilities already have an operating deficit.

Mr Owens told council there was “no avenue where the fees and charges for residents could be inflated to allow for the impact”.

“We rely heavily on the community for large donations and the auxiliary members for fundraising just to be able to purchase furnishings and equipment for our residents,” he said.