Company behind Earle Haven Retirement Village blames contractor for staff exodus

Yesterday dozens of elderly residents were urgently transferred from a private Gold Coast nursing home - now the parties involved are blaming each other.

THE company which owns Earle Haven retirement village has insisted its complex is still “very good” and blamed the aged care wing’s contractor for yesterday’s drama at the facility.

HelpStreet, a medical contracting company took over the aged care wing of Earle Haven retirement facility in April last year, for licenced nursing home company People Care owned by Arthur Miller.

Miller Enterprises PTY LTD own the independent living portion of the business which is untouched.

Mr Miller told the Bulletin a dispute erupted between HelpStreet over staffing issues and People Care had given the nursing company until August 9th to vacate as part of the contract termination.

RESIDENTS BEWILDERED AFTER SUDDEN SHUTDOWN

Residents were left confused and awaiting transfer. Picture: NIGEL HALLETT

‘IT’S A TRAGEDY AND SYMPTOM OF A BROKEN SYSTEM’

HelpStreet alleged they didn’t receive written confirmation they would be paid for the final month of work and therefore informed staff they would not be paid, triggering yesterday’s chaotic walk out.

HelpStreet were originally contracted to run the aged care wing for five to 10 years.

A Queensland Ambulance Service spokesman confirmed ambulance staff assisted Queensland Health with the “significant” job of moving all of the residents to other accommodation on Wednesday night.

“All 71 residents were transferred to alternative care facilities with paramedics and Queensland Health staff working tirelessly to identify appropriate destinations while continuing care and support for the patients,” the spokesman said.

Despite it leading to Gold Coast Health, paramedics and police to intervene, Mr Miller claimed “everything was under control.”

“There is nothing wrong with the retirement village, it is very good,” he said.

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“We had an agreement with the people who ran aged care and they had a problems with employees,” Mr Miller alleged.

Mr Miller said People Care had agreed to pay employee wages for the final month.

Neither People Care or Miller Enterprises Pty Ld, companies attached to Earle Haven, are at risk or receivership.

“Earle Haven Retirement has no debt, we have all the money for employees but there are a lot of things we have to take care of,” Mr Miller said.

“We told them they had up until the 9th of August to leave the premises, the decided to leave earlier.”

‘WE’RE ALL WONDERING WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE’

Furniture and food was removed.

A HelpStreet spokesperson said People Care “forced their hand” when they allegedly didn’t receive written confirmation they would be paid for the final month of work.

“If we couldn’t secure payment, we can’t continue to trade not knowing if we’re going to be paid or not, that’s just a formality, it’s not something we can control,” the HelpStreet spokesperson said.

“There was a service notice yesterday for us to be removed on August 9th. (HelpStreet) raised some concerns it would be difficult to do it in that time frame without major disruptions.

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“(HelpStreet) said to them, ‘Can they guarantee payment to us?’, bearing in mind at that point they should have already paid us for the month of July. (HelpStreet) asked for written confirmation and they haven’t provided it,” the spokesperson alleged.

“The only thing (HelpStreet) had from them is that they’d pay us to the end of June, which obviously already passed. Unless we can guarantee the staff are going to be paid, I can’t ask the staff to continue working.”

WHO IS ARTHUR MILLER?

BRAZIL-born Arthur Miller swooped on the Gold Coast’s Earle Haven retirement and leisure resort in 2002 paying $14.667 million for the property.

It came after he offloaded another property in Sydney through a linked entity for $2.7 million in 2001. That Sydney property is now home to Bupa Aged Care Greenacre.

Mr Millers purchase of the 62 Lawrence Drive, Nerang, property comprised $12.602 million for the resort’s non-medical care component and $2.065 million for the medical care facilities.

Earle Haven is one of Miller’s properties. Picture: NIGEL HALLETT

It was sold as a four-stage retirement village with a 59-bed nursing home, 30-bed hostel, 108 serviced apartments and 376 independent units.

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Mr Miller this week was revealed as the buyer of commercial building 169 Varsity Pde for $14 million.

That property was sold by Abacus Property Group and counts National Broadband Network and the Bank of Queensland as tenants.