Carl sets his sights on housing

Carl Wood can thank, or blame, his late mother for his already seven-year stint on OCAV’s governing Council. His mother, Peg Cregan, had been a resident at Rushall Park and then Liscombe House and let her son know when she thought something could be done better.

“I wanted to contribute to an organisation that had looked after her,” said Carl, whose mother died a couple of years ago.

Carl, who lives at Mt Camel, a two hour drive from Melbourne, soon discovered that like all organisations, there were some things OCAV could do better, but he also discovered a staff and management committed to the best welfare of its residents.

“Over the last three to four years OCAV has moved from being a charity to showing leadership in the sector, and we are influencing the care of ageing Victorians.”

Carl, who has worked for many years in corporate governance, is a bail justice and serves on the board of the Elmore and District Hospital and on the Department of Justice’s Regulation in Human Research Ethics Committee. He has held CEO roles in a number of national, state and regional not-for-profit associations, including rugby union, speech pathology and football umpiring organisations. He is a member of the OCAV Governance committee.

Seven years down the track he is excited about the role of OCAV is playing in the provision of accommodation for ageing Victorians, particularly for those who do not have financial security and face old age in vulnerable housing. He believes organisations that are not solely reliant on recurrent Government funding are well placed to take the lead on housing.

Carl believes his experience of working in not-for-profit organisations and his understanding of good governance means he can agitate for change and projects, but accept the decision of the majority. It’s something he often shared with his mother, Peg.

“I used to talk to her about things which could be better and I am not sure she always accepted the outcome but she understood that in the long-term decisions need to be made for the greater good. You have to work together and get on with the business of things even if you don’t always agree on a decision,” Carl said.

“Providing housing for ageing Victorians is at the forefront of our minds as a Council. Our funding model enables us to bring in an income so that we can provide housing to those who have no ability to pay, but are as equally deserving of the same sort of accommodation.”

“George Coppin and his thespian mates did it in the early days and now we have a responsibility to keep doing it.”

“A lot of organisations that provide aged care have to make a profit for shareholders. We don’t have to do that and our sound financial management means we can develop more housing where possible in our villages. It also means we can do what is needed to ensure the residents living in our four villages are living well.”

When he is not putting in the hours with OCAV, Carl works on his small farm near Heathcote, raising Dorper sheep, ducks and bees.