Capital-works funding for disability agencies

Disability services agencies will be able to access Victorian Government grants of up to $400,000 following the establishment of a new $6-million fund.

The Minister for Youth and Community Services, Dr Napthine, has announced that the program, funded by the Community Support Fund, will help agencies establish or redevelop their service outlets or offices.

$2 million a year over three years will be available to agencies that work with people with disabilities and their supporting families, and with children with a disability or developmental delay.

The Capital Assistance Fund for Disability Service Agencies will enable agencies to redirect more of their own expenditure to direct service delivery.

Details of this year’s funding will be published shortly in major newspapers and applications are due by May 31, 1999.

The Government spends more than $550 million annually on disability services around the state and a further $24 million through the Department’s Youth and Family Services Division for children with a developmental delay. Much of this money is directed through community agencies.

Most of this funding is for direct services to clients and only in limited circumstances is money available for capital developments.

The new fund will give agencies the chance to obtain matching funding to upgrade or develop additional day-activity and support centres for people with disabilities and additional information and resource services for people with disabilities and their carers.

The Community Support Fund has so far re-invested more than $360 million of hotel gaming-machine revenue back into the Victorian community. This includes $17 million to support families in crisis, $60 million to problem-gambling programs, $62 million to the arts, $27 million to tourism projects, $97 million to sport and recreation, and $25 million to programs to assist young people.

(News Release, Office of the Minister for Youth and Community Services, March 26, 1999)