SIXTEEN needy pensioners and workers were given six hours’ notice to find alternative housing last Wednesday when a budget accommodation facility at Wellington Point suddenly ceased operation.

Negotiations between facility owner, Superior Care Group Pty Ltd, which also owns Wellington Park Private Care, and the Department of Housing, followed and the residents were given a 24-hour reprieve.

Wellington Lodge ex-resident and pensioner John Airey said he received notice at 12.30pm last Wednesday that the closure was to be immediate and he was to cease residing on the property by 6pm that day.

Mr Airey, who slept at his mother’s Mount Cotton home on Wednesday night, said he was one of the few who had somewhere to go.

At midday last Thursday, pensioners and ex-residents Bob Curry and Ian Stoddart and ex-resident Ryan Feehely still had no short term alternative accommodation.

Mr Stoddart said he anticipated sleeping on the street that night.

“I don’t even own a tent,” he said.

“All I have is two pushbikes. I’ll probably be sleeping in a bus shelter.”

By the end of the day, all residents were sheltered either with friends or relatives or in Department of Housing accommodation.

Superior Care Group co-director Russell Egan said the company had been working towards complying with a building application lodged previously with Redland City Council.

He said council’s requirements and the associated “expenses and complex works”, however, were cost prohibitive.

“We were working towards compliance with the development and building application, but once we found it would be so expensive to comply we felt we had no option but to shut down the lodge,” Mr Egan said.

He said the notice to residents, which relied on section 80(1)(b) of the Residential Services (Accommodation) Act 2002, was circulated last Wednesday morning and the company then negotiated to give residents until 6pm Thursday to vacate.

A letter accompanying the notice stated the company’s decision to withdraw from the building approval process meant the lodge was an unlawful use and it would be illegal to continue providing the service.

“While working towards compliance, we persisted with operating the lodge, but once we decided not to comply, it posed a risk to our insurance,” Mr Egan said.

“Compounding that was the resignation of our long term manager.

“The facts were compelling.”

Mr Egan said he was sorry to hear some residents had feared having no alternative accommodation.

“They should be in touch with the government departments in charge of public housing,” he said.

“I’m sorry to hear about the inconvenience to them but the risk this service now poses to the people and to our company far outweighs the inconvenience.”

He said Superior Care Group’s long term plans for the site included a residential care facility.