An award winning Indigenous home care program in Batemans Bay is facing closure if the Morrison Government does not step in to extend its funding.

Booraja was developed by IRT in close collaboration with the Eurobodalla Walbanga community through a Federal Government’s Dementia and Aged Care Services Innovation Funding Round grant.

Funding for the program ended on 30 September and the service is in danger of shutting down from the end of this month if vital bridging funding is not secured.

Federal Member for Gilmore, Fiona Phillips MP, is calling on the Liberal-National Government to step in to provide funding for the program.

“The Minister for Aged Care, Senator Colbeck, must provide urgent transitional funding to keep this service open,”

“This program has been a huge success, winning an innovAGEING National Award earlier this year for promoting and supporting older Australians to remain independent and in their homes,”   

“With everything we have seen come out of the Aged Care Royal Commission, our community cannot afford to lose vital services aimed at supporting disadvantaged older Australians,” Mrs Phillips said.

The program also helps to provide employment to local Aboriginal people, with the project leadership team and home care roles all staffed by Aboriginal workers.

“These are vital aged care services and it is shameful that the Morrison Government has allowed this to happen given it knows there are 120,000 older Australians assessed and waiting for their approved home care package,” Mrs Phillips said.

“The Liberals have been asleep at the wheel for six years, with four Ministers and billions of dollars ripped out while Australia’s aged care system has lurched from one crisis to another,”

“The pilot program has the potential to be applied to other Aboriginal communities across Australia and I urge the Minister to stop this program from closing,” Mrs Phillips said.