TWO of the region’s political leaders have expressed concern for disadvantaged members of the community following today’s closure of the city’s Disability SA volunteer service.
Independent MP Troy Bell and Grant District Mayor Richard Sage said termination of the service, which provides respite for people with disability via specialist services, was disappointing.
Mr Sage said State Government funds go towards lease of the building and employment of one staff member.
“It is not a big cost for 50 or 60 clients a week,” he said.
The service has been in operation in Mount Gambier since 2004 and sees around 50 clients a week from locations around the South East.
A Department of Human Services spokesperson said delivery of disability services was changing due to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
The State Government will no longer be a service provider, with people instead receiving services from NDIS partners in the community, such as Mission Australia in Mount Gambier and the non-government sector, providing more choice.
“The NDIS does not provide funding for volunteer coordination – instead, people with disability receive funding for reasonable and necessary supports, including many of the supports volunteers have previously been delivering, such as transport and recreation,” the spokesperson said.
“The government-run Mount Gambier Volunteer Activity Centre will therefore close this weekend when the lease expires.”
Of the 25 clients who use the service, 21 are already on the NDIS.
The remaining four have been referred to the Department of Human Services’ Mount Gambier regional office (Disability SA).
This office will remain until all clients have alternative services and volunteers have been given information about other organisations where their time would be valuable.
Mr Bell said constituents had raised concerns about the reduction of frontline and auxiliary services as a result of the transition to the scheme.
“It is in this transition period where local and valuable services are going to be lost because the NDIS has not picked it up yet,” he said.
“I lobbied the Labor State Government to extend the contract for six months before the NDIS became operational and after the election I was hopeful the Liberal State Government would extend the contract.”
