Merriwa Grove residents face uncertain future, relatives claim

By Gabriel Garcia

Jun 5, 2023

Frustrated: Judi Burke, whose adult son resides at the Merriwa Grove mental health care facility in Cobram, is furious about the process undertaken surrounding the closure of the facility. Photo by Gabriel Garcia

Judi Burke is a woman at a loss and on a mission.

Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content

Her adult son is a resident at the Merriwa Grove mental health care facility in Cobram which is facing closure at the end of June.

Mrs Burke has been scathing of how Merriwa Industries, who runs the facility, have conducted the process, saying that the relatives of residents have only been given 60 days’ notice.

“We got this funny sort of letter regarding a meeting on Thursday, April 27 at Merriwa Grove. It was to discuss the future transition of the residents of the facility. It was the first time we heard about the closure,” she said.

Mrs Burke and other relatives of residents were aghast at the idea that it may close its doors.

“We don’t want the facility to shut. This is their home and their safe place. Because it is a big residence each resident has their own space and that’s important for them and their mental health.”

Mrs Burke sung the praises of the facility’s front-line workers but has blasted the management, who she claims has demonstrated a complete disregard for the wellbeing of residents.

“Merriwa Grove has let everyone down. Residents and workers. They went about it all the wrong way. They should have let us know at the start of the year,” she said.

“It was a shock and the way it was handled, I was very angry. There was a lack of empathy.”

Mrs Burke said that one of the things that angered her most was the apparent secrecy of the whole planned closure.

“To give people 60 days, all these men need to be assessed before being rehoused anywhere else. It was just done in a big hurry. They didn’t think they would get a reaction.”

Mrs Burke’s sentiments are held by another resident’s relative, Rhonda Bowen, whose uncle Bruce Wren has been a resident at Merriwa Grove for the past 20 years.

“Bruce loves it here. It is (not just) a facility, it is his home. We don’t know what to do. We’ve been asking about a relocation plan. No-one is talking to the families,” she said.

Ms Bowen said that she had no luck getting more information from the state government.

“This is really wrong. We have no idea where our loved ones are going to be.”

Merriwa Grove has been contacted for comment.