Date: 10 March 2022

It is with deep sadness that I write this letter on behalf of Whiddon. You may recall that I wrote to the community last year, in regards to a decline in demand for our aged care services in Walgett over recent years. I wrote this letter with the hope to seek support, and to better understand the aged care services needs in the local community.

I also made an appeal on local radio to understand if there were people in the community we could assist and required our services, supported by the tremendous efforts of our local team. For many years, Whiddon has heavily subsidised our service in Walgett, which is now costing around a quarter of a million dollars annually, to keep our doors open. For a significant time now, we have experienced a decline in admissions, which is further compounded by the presence of a Multi-Purpose Service (MPS) in
the area.

Despite our very best efforts and commitment to finding ways to continue to offer our services to the local community, the decline for our services remains. This means that after a decade of providing care to the Walgett community, it was with very heavy hearts, that we have made the incredibly difficult decision to close the doors to Whiddon Walgett.

Our priority now is to do everything we can to support the very small number of residents who are currently living at Whiddon Walgett, to help them find a new place to call home, that caters for their needs and where they feel supported. We are also doing everything we can to support the wonderful and dedicated team at Walgett at this difficult time.

We want you to know that the community of Walgett will always hold a very special place in our hearts at Whiddon. We have always been so proud to be an active member and supporter of such a wonderful community, as both a care provider and employer. As such, we think it is fitting that the property and building remain a valuable community asset and are currently in discussions to try and bring this wish to fruition.

It truly has been our privilege to be part of your community, and we cannot thank you enough for the love, support and understanding you have shown us over the past ten years. We do hope that we can continue to provide support to your community in some way in the future.

Yours sincerely,

Chris Mamarelis 
Whiddon CEO