Premier’s office inundated as Union urges change

Up to 100 local disability workers walked off the job last Tuesday to march from the Bendigo Trades Hall to rally outside Premier Jacinta Allan’s office in Mollison Street.

The protest was part of the Health and Community Services Union (HACSU) Disability Activists Day and comes after the cancellation of what the Union considers “a crucial government subsidy” on 31 December last year.

For almost a decade, the State Government provided the subsidy to support several disability providers in running former state-operated group homes, which covered essential safeguards, training standards and quality of care.

Upon its cancellation, no plans or contingencies were provided for the estimated thousands of affected disability support workers, participants and their families.

HACSU has called on the government to extend funding as services begin to cut roles, eliminate worker provisions and close Supported Independent Living homes – some where participants have lived for decades.

HACSU state secretary Paul Healey said Victoria’s disability sector is in crisis and the State Government’s response has been “frankly disgraceful”.

“We’re seeing participants who have lived together for years being torn apart without consultation, with no regard for the consequences for participants, their families or the disability support workers who have supported them,” he said.

“The solution is obvious – we need immediate government intervention to ensure participants are safe, cared for, and not left to the whims of struggling private providers.”

According to the Union, the NDIS cannot be the be-all and end-all of disability care, and without funding for worker training and supervision, Australians who most need care and support are being left behind.

After approaching the State Government for its take on the situation, a spokesperson replied.

“We thank disability support workers for the hard work they do day in and day out, looking after Victorians living with disability,” they said.

“Market sustainability is the responsibility of the Commonwealth Government – we continue to advocate for the Commonwealth to ensure providers are viable.

“We supported the transfer of Supported Independent Living services to the NDIS with a clear contractual end date of December 2025 – these contracts were in place from 2019.”