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Community facilities Health | April 10, 2017

Kealy – Labor abandons disability support

The Nationals Member for Lowan, Emma Kealy MP is calling on the Andrews Labor Government to provide funding to enable continued support for people living with a disability during the transition to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

“It is extremely disappointing that the Andrews Labor Government has advised that it will cease funding the employment of the Wimmera’s Rural Access Worker on 30 June 2017”, Ms Kealy said.

The Rural Access Worker works across the Hindmarsh, Horsham Rural City, West Wimmera and Yarriambiack Shire Councils, providing critical support to people with a disability and their families to help them actively participate in local community life.

“There are currently 25 Rural Access Workers across Victoria working with local groups and organisations, businesses and the broader community to strengthen the community's capacity to provide support to people of all abilities and their families”, Ms Kealy said.

“The Minister has stated that Rural Access Workers will be replaced by the Information, Linkages and Capacity Building component of NDIS, but this won't be available until late 2019, leaving a two year gap with no funding for disability inclusion support. 

“People living with a disability and their families are entitled to an assurance that the state will fund disability inclusion support up to 2019 so they are not abandoned during the NDIS rollout period.

“If the Labor Government is serious about their responsibility to people living with a disability they will immediately make this funding available”, she said.