Not much help

By Mara Pattison-Sowden
YARRA Valley service providers say the State Government’s 2011/12 budget may provide some small help to struggling families and individuals, but it doesn’t make a big difference to the availability of services in the Yarra Ranges.
The Coalition Government says it will provide an additional $414.3 million over the next four years to boost electricity, water and sewerage concessions available to low-income households, cut stamp duty for first-home buyers, eligible pensioners and farmers, and improve support for children with special needs with a $291.7 million package of support programs.
But the Opposition says the budget offers no hope, no plan and no new investment to grow Victoria’s social housing system, as well as reducing the competition bonus for Victoria’s apprentices.
Healesville Interchurch Care Inc (HICI) executive officer Kerri Goding said low income concessions were vital to the community.
“From our perspective some of the issues we see facing people are secure housing and cost of living,” she said.
“We’re distributing a considerable amount of food on a weekly basis, more than we have in the past.”
She said HICI was helping many people who were struggling with monthly bills that got out of hand.
“People get confused changing utilities over the phone and can get into contracts they’re not sure about,” she said, “while those with a car are finding it hard to run on a pension or benefit with the cost of fuel.”
Ms Goding said in Healesville the lack of services and transport was a significant barrier.
“People have to go down the line to access these things…we need other agencies to come here to Healesville and provide services,” she said.
Ms Goding said it was common to see people couch-surfing with friends until they wore their welcome out.
“It’s not a way to live life without security,” she said.
“But we don’t have a lot of emergency accommodation here in the Yarra Ranges.”
Interchange Outer East CEO Fred Brumhead said although there was a modest increase in the overall funding for people with a disability, “there’s never enough resources, enough money, enough services and there never will be.”
Mr Brumhead said the amount of money in disability was quite significant but the question was whether it was well-targeted to the right services.
“There will always be another way of doing things but we need to work with what we’ve got,” he said.
“There are a few services around (the valley) but not the mass of people to encourage agencies to come up and provide a service and that’s always going to be a challenge.
“That, along with the transport.”