Come home to a coastal lifestyle

Blue Haven Bonaira, sister Village to Blue Haven Terralong, is located at 14a Bonaira Street, Kiama. Blue Haven Bonaira contains 59 modern Independent Living Units, a 134 bed Residential Aged Care Home, a multi-purpose Community Hall, a charming coffee shop open to the public, called Barroul House Café, a hairdressing salon, consultation room, chapel, wellness centre with gym equipment, a children’s playground for those visits from the grandchildren and lovely green open spaces.

A total of 59 Independent Living Units are spread across the following four buildings: 

• Building 1:  1 single bedroom unit and 16 two-bedroom units
• Building 2:  1 single bedroom unit (caretaker) and 16 two-bedroom units
• Building 3:  1 single bedroom unit and 16 two-bedroom units
• Building 4:  8 two-bedroom units on top two floors of Matterson Hall

A complete set of unit designs with floor space ratios are available on our website

Each unit comes with a secure underground car space, that can be accessed safely from the internal lift.

No there isn’t but there is large storage space in every unit.

To book your viewing please visit www.bluehavenillawarra.com.au or phone (02) 4203 4055.

To be advised of units when they become available please see Blue Haven Illawarra | Prices and Availability

You can also subscribe to our mailing list:

Prices start at $540,000 for one bedroom and range up to the most expensive priced at $1,050,000 for a very spacious two-bedroom unit with stunning views.

A large Community Hall with kitchen and adjacent smaller meeting rooms are available to book for use by all Blue Haven Bonaira residents.

The Community Hall, which has been officially named The Matterson Hall (named after long-standing Blue Haven board member and patron Tony Matterson) is predominantly used by Blue Haven Community Services team to implement client programs and groups for Blue Haven clients. The schedule of events and activities will be displayed around the Village.

A residents’ lounge area and public cafe is provided in the village’s onsite café, Barroul House Café.

Blue Haven Customer Service counter is also located within the village.

Village residents also gave access to large outdoor observation deck and BBQ facilities with panoramic coastal and mountain views, located on the top floor of building 4 above The Matterson Hall and fully accessible by internal lift.

A hairdressing salon is located inside the main entrance to the Residential Aged Care Home and has two basins and three hair cutting stations and is wheelchair accessible. The salon also has nail technician table and chairs. There is also a café adjacent to the hairdressing salon and a Wellness Centre fitted out with gym equipment including treadmill and weights all within the ground floor of the Residential Aged Care Home and is available to all residents.

It is intended that the existing Blue Haven Bus will also service the Independent Living Units, however the extent will depend upon the need for this service.  As the service would not be financially subsidised, it may need to rely on usage fees or inclusion in the overall maintenance levy budget for the Independent Living Units, which would require the agreement of a majority of residents.

There is a public bus stop directly outside Blue Haven Bonaira. Premier Bus Service currently provide eight services daily (Mon-Fri) & four services on Saturday. This service has a stop directly outside Blue Haven Bonaira, then travels to Stockland Shellharbour via the Kiama Leisure Centre in Havilah Place, North Kiama Drive & Minnamurra Public School.

Some residents may also be eligible to access community transport, visit the Community Services staff at The Matterson Hall to find out if you’re eligible or visit Blue Haven’s Community Services webpages for more detail.

Units at Blue Haven Bonaira & Blue Haven Terralong are occupied under a loan-licence agreement. The price of the unit is an interest free loan to Kiama Council in return for which residents receive a licence to occupy their unit. This arrangement is widely used in not-for-profit Retirement Villages.

There is no refurbishment charge upon leaving your unit and maintenance levies cease upon vacation. Stamp duty also does not apply.

Residents are able to choose between the following two financial options:

• Standard Price Option

When the unit is eventually handed back to Council, the resident (or their estate) receives a refund which is based upon the original purchase price, minus a Departure Fee of 6% per annum for each of the first five years of occupancy.  This deduction, commonly known as a Departure Fee, is capped at 30%. Under the standard price, the amount of the loan paid by the next unit occupant does not influence this refund.

• Capital Gain Sharing Option

Incoming residents may select the Capital Gain Sharing Option. Under this Option, residents pay an extra 25% above the Standard Price Option (listed in our pricing guide) which entitles residents to receive a half share of any Capital Gain. Capital Gain is defined as the difference between the Standard Price which applies when the unit is occupied by the current resident and the Standard Price which applies when the unit is occupied by the next resident.

Should either the current or next resident select the Capital Gain Sharing Option, the additional 25% paid by either will not affect the calculation of Capital Gain, as this is based on the Standard Price which applied at the time of both occupancies.

The calculation of the Departure Fee is the same under both the Standard Price Option and Capital Gain Sharing Option. This means that the additional 25% paid under the Capital Gain Sharing Option is fully refundable.

Please note:

• No part of the amount paid under either of the above two options is refundable until after the unit is vacated.
• A decision as to which option to choose can be delayed up until two weeks prior to settlement.

What Disclosure Statements are required under the Retirement Villages Act 1999

• You will have to pay a departure fee when you leave this village.
• You will have to share any capital gains received with the operator of this village.

Weekly maintenance levies, also known as recurrent charges, are the only ongoing costs.

This levy covers Council & Water Rates, the maintenance of all the items supplied with the unit (except the carpet) & unmetered hot water.

Residents are responsible payment of their individual electricity, telephone or internet and contents insurance.

The levy will be approximately $115 per week.

To be advised of units when they become available please see Blue Haven Illawarra | Prices and Availability

You can also subscribe to our mailing list:

For more information about Blue Haven Bonaira visit www.bluehavenillawarra.com.au.

Or you can contact our Customer Service team on (02) 4203 4055 or email enquiries@bluehavencare.com.au.

The Manager of Blue Haven Village, Steve Dawson or one of his staff will be in touch with you to arrange inspections and discuss your needs or any concerns.

Kiama Council has been exploring options for its aged care business, Blue Haven Illawarra since May 2022.

Council decided at an extraordinary meeting on 13 October to sell Blue Haven Bonaira Residential Aged Care Facility (134-bed facility) and the Bonaira Independent Living Units (59 units) and Blue Haven Community Services but retain its Blue Haven Terralong Independent Living Units (203 units).

For some time, Council has been considering its role as the largest remaining local government owner-operator of an aged care business in Australia.

There has been much debate over whether, after 40 years of successful delivery of aged care, with recent challenges and changes to the sector brought about by the Aged Care Commission, the pandemic and general economy, it is time for Kiama Council to step out of this business and focus on our core functions as a local government.

From a financial perspective, Kiama Council is struggling to operate an aged care business and continue to fulfil its core local government responsibilities.

This is made clear in Council’s Budget and Long-Term Financial Plan, endorsed at the extraordinary meeting of Council on 23 May 2022.

A sale of Blue Haven would go towards settling Council’s outstanding debts from the construction of the Bonaira facility.

The complexity of the aged care sector due to new reforms and reporting requirements introduced since the Aged Care Commission, plus issues caused by the ongoing pandemic, such as high staff turnover, means Council is struggling to provide the funds and resources to run Blue Haven, which poses a significant risk to Council’s liquidity and solvency.

Blue Haven is a 24-7 business and comprises three main parts:

• Residential Aged Care Facility (RACF)
• Independent Living Units (ILUs)
• Community Services/ Home Care Packages

No. Blue Haven Care Services for residents and community will not change immediately.

Blue Haven continues to operate its Residential Aged Care Facility (RACF), Independent Living Units (ILUs) and Home Care as usual and the care and wellbeing of our residents and clients is paramount.

Blue Haven has a long and proud history of providing high-quality aged care services to our community for more than 40 years. This will not change. And it will continue regardless of the sale process.

As per the Council resolution:

The high standard in quality of care for the residents and families of the Blue Haven Residential Aged Care Facility be maintained, protected and uninterrupted and continue to meet the requirements of the Federal Government Aged Care Act 1997 requirements.

Also:

The good reputation and care invested in our Blue Haven Independent Living Community and Home Care Support Services be maintained, protected and uninterrupted and continue to meet the requirements of the Retirement Villages Act 1999. 

The recent resolutions of Council has specifically stated

2.     Undertake to sell Blue Haven Bonaria ( Lot 2 DP1215276) subject to the completion of the required notice in accordance with Section 34 of the Local Government Act (public notice to classify or reclassify public land) and the associated planning proposal process, which council has previously resolved to allocate funding towards at its June ordinary meeting.

3.     Continue to inform and engage with the community, including those who are cared for by Blue Haven, to reassure all parties that the quality of care and standard of service of the Independent Living Units and Residential Aged Care Facility will be maintained, regardless of ownership.

The sale process could take up to 12 months. We have engaged a specialist to work on the reclassification of the land and will soon put out an Expression of Interest (EOI) to participate in the open tender to purchase Blue Haven Bonaira.

The sale will be run through a public procurement tender process in accordance with the Local Government Act and it is illegal to interfere with this process. The decision to sell to the successful tenderer, identified via the tender process, will go back to a Council.

Council will make their ultimate decision after considering all the various factors and conditions proposed by respective purchasers.

Council has already stipulated that any sale must be to an approved Aged Care Provider. Further, in the clear acknowledgement of its intention that the operations continue, it has stated the provider needs to operate under the Aged Care Act and Retirement Villages Act. Other criteria may and will be considered before any definitive action is taken.

The Bonaira Aged Care Home and Bonaira Independent Living Units are on land zoned low density residential but classified as community land. Under the Local Government Act, Council must reclassify community land to operational land in order to sell it.

Council has identified the need to reclassify the Blue Haven Bonaira site to ensure it is being operated in accordance with the Local Government Act 1993.

Council has engaged MMJ Town Planning and Advisory to prepare the Planning Proposal to reclassify the site. It is anticipated that the Planning Proposal will be submitted to the NSW Department of Planning & Environment, for a Gateway Determination.

Once the Department has issued a Gateway Determination, a public hearing will be held to give the community an opportunity to expand on written submissions and discuss issues with an independent person in a public forum. Council is in the process of engaging an independent person to provide a public hearing report which will be made publicly available.

Community Services will be part of the sale. Whichever aged care provider purchases Bonaira Residential Aged Care Facility and Bonaira ILUs will also take over the running and daily operations of the Community Services.

Clients with Home Care Packages will be informed when the provider is due to change and will be given information as to what this may entail closer to the time. Kiama Council will be working hard to ensure a seamless transition.

Nothing will happen immediately. However, once the land has been reclassified and a buyer has been selected via a tender process, the ownership will change from Kiama Council to another registered Aged Care Provider.

More information about exiting residents from residential aged care and legislation can be found online: Exiting residents from residential aged care | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care

The NSW Retirement Villages Act is consumer legislation enforced by NSW Fair Trading. The following protections are provided under this Act for Village Residents, which also apply when a Retirement Village is sold to a new owner.

Sec 29 Variation or replacement of village contracts

The current operator of the Village cannot make an existing Resident sign a new contract.

Sec 40 Contractual rights of residents against new operator  

After the Village is sold, the existing contract between the resident and the former operator may be enforced against any operator for the time being of the village. Clauses 29 and 40 together mean that Residents will not have to sign a new contract.

Sec 41 new operator to convene meeting of residents

A person who proposes to become an operator of an existing retirement village must, at least 28 days before the person becomes the operator, hold a meeting with all residents to report on

(a) their financial ability to operate the village, and

(b) their plans for the future management and operation of the village (including any proposed changes)

Sec 60 Variation in services or facilities provided at village

The services and facilities provided at the village are not to be varied unless the residents of the village, by a special resolution, consent to the variation.

If the operator considers that a proposed variation in services or facilities will impose a cost on the operator additional to that allowed for in the approved annual budget, the operator must seek the residents’ consent to an amendment to the approved annual budget.

If residents refuse to consent to the amendment, the operator may appeal to the Tribunal

Sec 106 Recurrent charges varied otherwise than by fixed formula–exceeding variation in CPI

The operator must give residents at least 60 days notice before any proposed variation, including an explanation of the reasons for the proposed variation.

Sec 107 Residents’ consent to variation

A variation does not take effect residents unless consent to the variation, or the Tribunal orders that the variation take effect.

Sec 108 Determination by Tribunal

An operator of a retirement village may apply to the Tribunal for (and the Tribunal may make) an order in respect of a proposed variation of recurrent charges if residents do not consent to the proposed variation.

The Tribunal may–

(a) order that the proposed variation is to take effect, with or without modification, or

(b) order that the proposed variation is not to take effect.

The Tribunal may have regard to the following in reaching their decision–

(a) the general market level of recurrent charges paid at similar retirement villages in the locality of the retirement village concerned or a similar locality,

(b) the level and cost of services and facilities provided in the budget

(c) any proposed variations to which the residents have consented,

(d) the cost of general services required to be provided by the operator,

(e) the frequency and amount of past variations

For further information about the Retirement Villages Act please visit: Retirement Villages Act 1999 No 81 – NSW Legislation

Yes. The recent resolutions of Council has no immediate change to employment terms for any of our Blue Haven employees.

Please email any questions or further feedback to council@kiama.nsw.gov.au

Explanation of the role of the Caretakers

The following explanation of the role of the contract Caretakers is provided for the information of ILU residents.

Maintenance of garden areas:

1. Removal or spraying of weeds and dead plants
2. Pruning of plants and trees
3. Regular liaison with the Resident Garden Committees for each building to improve communication and provide the opportunity for resident input into the maintenance of common gardens. (All instructions to the Caretakers must however be issued via the Village Manager.)

Cleaning of buildings:

1. Cleaning of windows in common areas
2. Vacuuming and dusting of common areas
3. Management of all waste and recycling bins

Maintenance of buildings:

1. Assisting with cyclic maintenance of building services and equipment in accordance with the cyclic maintenance program (currently being finalised)
2. Replacement of lightbulbs when required
3. Supervision of approved maintenance contractors
4. Assisting the operator with the renovation of vacated units
5. Undertaking or arranging the maintenance of all items within individual units which are not the personal property of the occupant
6. Assisting residents with emergency electrical and plumbing issues
7. Monitoring the operation of lifts and contacting with the lift service provider when required

Security and amenity:

1. Taking all reasonable steps to ensure the safety and wellbeing of ILU residents, including providing emergency access where residents have misplaced their key/fob
2. Assisting with the Rosie emergency call system to ensure the emergency unit access system is available and utilised by the Ambulance Service.
3. Ensuring and monitoring the security of ILU buildings and Village grounds
4. Induction and orientation of new residents
5. Assist the Village manager in the organisation of social events if needed
6. Where practical, assisting residents with deliveries, parcels and letters
7. Assisting visitors and guests to locate Village residents
8. Monitoring any obstructions to vehicular access
9. Maintaining an awareness of Council’s Elder Abuse and Risk Management procedures

General information regarding the Caretakers:

• The Caretakers are (currently) required have an on-site presence between 8:00am Monday to Noon on Friday. They may however decide to undertake some of these tasks at times outside these hours. They are permitted leave the site for short periods providing they can immediately return should the need arise
• Time spent by the Caretakers in performing tasks such as assisting with the renovation of vacant units is not charged to the maintenance levy budget, in accordance with the Retirement Villages Act. This cost sharing also maintains the viability of the current “Caretaker model”
• Residents must not ask the Caretakers to undertake any personal jobs and must not pay (or offer to pay) the Caretakers to perform these task
• A plan showing the area covered by the Caretakers’ contract is attached
• Please direct all queries regarding the role of the Caretakers to the Village Manage

Schedule One

Periods during which the contract clauses indicated below are to apply

Relevant contract clauses apply during the following periods:

• Hours on duty : 8:00 am Monday to 12:00 pm Friday Inclusive

Schedule Two

 Blue Haven’s Elder Abuse Prevention Protocol is attached