Victoria's City of Greater Geelong Council has voted to continue delivering home care services, after efforts last month to transfer operations to specialist providers were opposed by the local community, unions, and members of State Parliament.
Following a vote on Tuesday (27 May), the Council is now taking action to ensure it will be able to transfer Home Care Package services to the new Support at Home program and that services, including the Commonwealth Home Support Program, comply with the new Aged Care Act, which comes into effect on 1 July – only a month away.
According to a statement from the Council, the Government's home care reforms represent a "major shift" in the way they manage and deliver their services, and will require IT upgrades, increased integration of health services into home care, and changes to ensure compliance with the strengthened Quality Standards.
These changes will require “significant additional expenditure,” the Council said, noting they will be seeking further funding from the Federal Government. As reported earlier this month, Greater Geelong Mayor Stretch Kontelj warned that without additional Federal support, the Council would need to find “several million dollars per annum out of operations” to subsidise its aged care services.
The Mayor said on Wednesday the Council had listened to the community.
"It's important to note that there will be some changes to how the service operates – these will be determined by the requirements of the Commonwealth Government, but our aspiration is for it to be consistent with the service they've come to know and love," he stated.
"I thank the Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and Member for Corangamite Libby Coker for their interest and support."
The Australian Services Union Vic Tas created a petition about the proposed changes and emailed Councillors urging them to support the delivery of home care services. The union was also behind protests outside Council chambers (pictured above).
In the years lead up to the new Support at Home program, about 100 local councils have announced their exit, including most recently Queensland's Bundaberg Regional Council, Victoria's West Wimmera Council, and New South Wales' Eurobodalla Shire Council.
Home care providers still face years of reform, even after 1 July 2025. The Commonwealth Home Support Program, the home care services most often delivered by councils, will be rolled into Support at Home no earlier than 1 July 2027.
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