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Labor ignoring warnings ‘costly’ scheme would push providers out of disability sectorWarnings from Victoria’s disability service providers ignored. By Portal Admin - 24th June 2018 - Back to News The Andrews Labor Government is ignoring warnings from Victoria’s disability service providers that proposed changes to long-service leave would force many out of the sector.
In Parliamentary Accounts and Estimates Committee (PAEC), Minister for Housing, Disability and Ageing Martin Foley claimed National Disability Services (NDS) had ‘in-principle support’ for Labor’s proposed portable long-service scheme.
Martin Foley couldn’t be more wrong.
NDS, the peak body for non-government disability service organisations, has serious concerns that including disability service providers in the "costly" and "complex" scheme "is likely to significantly impact the financial sustainability of disability services".
It also found the scheme "will undermine the financial viability of organisations" and "could contribute to withdrawal of some services from the market, exacerbating the emerging thin markets for people with disabilities in some parts of Victoria".
NDS specifically requested disability services be exempt from the Bill.
Ballooning wage costs would push many services, which provide critical support to Victorians with a disability, to close.
Comments attributable to Shadow Minister for Disability Tim Bull
Many of Victoria’s disability service providers are already operating on a thin budget and struggling to keep their head above water.
Daniel Andrews’ plan to push up wage costs threatens the future viability of disability service providers that give critical support to Victorians in need.
Daniel Andrews and Martin Foley owe an explanation to all those disability service providers that play such an important role in our communities.
Source: www.gippsland.com Published by: support@gippsland.com
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