Council & Business
28 July, 2022
Local council to review home-based care services
The Central Goldfields Shire Council will review its home-based aged care services moving forward ahead of Federal Government reforms next year. The Federal Government’s proposed Support at Home Program, which is slated to begin next July, will...

The Central Goldfields Shire Council will review its home-based aged care services moving forward ahead of Federal Government reforms next year.
The Federal Government’s proposed Support at Home Program, which is slated to begin next July, will replace existing funding streams which enable councils to provide local services and is expected to impact on the cost of service delivery.
This will likely impact council’s domestic assistance, meals on wheels, in-house respite care, personal care, social support group and property maintenance services.
Central Goldfields Shire Council general manager community wellbeing Emma Little said it was unclear whether council would be able to meet the new conditions of the reforms and therefore continue providing services.
“Council will continue to provide in home aged care services in 2021/22,” she said.
“We will be reviewing the implications of the Federal Government’s reforms over the next six months and how they will impact service provision in our community for 2022/23.
“The Federal Government have been transitioning these services in Victoria to a competitive market model.
“It is unclear whether local governments (and in particular small rural councils) will be able to meet the new requirements and tendering conditions under this new model.
“We will work with the community and the Federal Government to ensure that our community continue to get high level aged care services regardless of the service delivery model or provider.”
The neighbouring Pyrenees Shire Council has begun an expression of interest process to determine whether an external contractor could take up service delivery and will consider its position as a service provider in December this year.
The Hepburn Shire Council also dropped its aged care home support services at the end of last month due to the same reforms.