A MINISTERIAL directive to Shoalhaven City Council could force a number of disabled workers from Slice of Life Australia (SOLA) out of work.
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SOLA has operated the Reflections Cafe at the Shoalhaven Memorial Garden and Lawn Cemetery since 2006 but when its lease ran out in 2014 a directive from the Minister for Primary Industries, which oversees Crown Land on which the cafe is located, said council should put the lease out to the market instead of dealing directly with individuals, organisations or previous lease holders like SOLA.
Council’s business and property manager Mike Harben said council had put a submission to Crown Lands to deal directly with the former lessee but was unsuccessful.
“Council acts as trust managers for the land and answers to Crown Lands and we made a submission to continue the lease but it was suggested by the minister it would be prudent to go to the market,” he said.
Council faced similar issues with the Shoalhaven City Turf Club and Shoalhaven Greyhound Racing Club complexes on Albatross Road but detailed submissions allowed those agreements to continue.
A report to council’s property steering committee meeting on July 14 was told despite terms and conditions of a new agreement being negotiated in August last year, the documents, which had been submitted for endorsement by the minister on three occasions, remained unsigned.
Council has called new expressions of interest to operate the cafe and applications are due to close on Friday, August 6.
SOLA is operated by Cr Karen Anstiss, who stood as part of Team Gash at the last local election.
The company has operated the cafe since 2006, when it was given an initial three-year lease with an option for a further two years, which was renewed again in 2011 for another three years.
“We employ around 25 staff, both people with disabilities and mainstream workers who act as supervisors,” Mrs Anstiss said.
As well as operating Reflections Cafe, SOLA also runs a general store at North Nowra, a sustainable living project at Terara as well as general catering business.
“Reflections Café is at least 25 per cent of our work and if we lose the lease it will affect a number of workers, including some of our disabled employees,” she said.