Stockton Centre fete may be last

Organiser Wendy Cuneo said doubts over the future of the centre led some people to come back for ‘‘a last look before it was too late’’.

Ms Cuneo said the future of Stockton and other large residential care centres was the main topic of conversation on Saturday, as people ‘‘swapped notes’’ about what they had heard about its impending closure.

 She said a lot of doubt remained despite meetings last week between the families of Stockton Centre residents and state government representatives.

A number of former Stockton Centre residents were at the fete, which has run annually for at least 40 years.

Lifestyle Solutions co-ordinator Kim Redman was at the fete with client Janet Heydon, a former Stockton resident who now lives in a group home at Warabrook.

Ms Heydon said she had been in nine group homes since leaving Stockton and loved living in the community.

However, Lynne Warner, who brought her brother Daryl Batcheldor from the state government’s Kanangra home at Morisset, said she feared greatly for people like her brother and others who would struggle to cope with the changes.

The state has tried previously to close Stockton and its current plan is to ‘‘redevelop’’ the centre by 2018.

It has also confirmed its intention to privatise disability services as part of its role in the National Disability Insurance Scheme.