The Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care’s Capital Assistance Program grant will fund the construction of staff accommodation.

Calvary General Manager Home Care South Australian, Northern Territory, Susie Jackson, said Calvary had proudly operated Mulakunya since 2007 to support locals to remain “on country” with a predominantly fly-in, fly-out workforce.

“This grant is excellent news for the future of our service and supports our ongoing commitment to provide programs that contribute to improved health outcomes of First Nations people, and in this instance the Tiwi Islander community,” said Ms Jackson.

“The remoteness of Mulakunya means the support workers, cooks, nursing, maintenance and contractors and mainland specialty staff all require accommodation to deliver this important service, and this grant will enable Calvary to construct much-needed purpose-built, modern staff accommodation.”

“We know that providing contemporary accommodation will assist staff retention efforts, and a stable workforce ultimately contributes to improved outcomes for the wellbeing and experience of our residents and the locals in the community that we serve,” she said.

At the highly regarded Mulakunya, Calvary delivers flexible aged care accommodation and support in a culturally-sensitive manner to the Bathurst Indigenous community to 22 residents at the service and a further 35 locals in the community through meals on wheels and medication programs,” said Ms Jackson.

Calvary’s dedicated infrastructure team is developing plans for the works, proposing the demolition of some existing staff buildings and replacing them with a structure that can provide safe, comfortable, private and culturally appropriate accommodation for 15 staff. In addition, it is proposed to build a private barbecue/outdoor area for staff.

Calvary will work closely with local community groups throughout the planning and construction phases.