• Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Read Our Newspapers Online
    • Read the Latest Western Port News
    • Read the Latest Mornington News
    • Read the Latest Southern Peninsula News
    • Read the Latest Frankston Times
    • Read the Latest Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News
  • Competition
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Trending
  • Mornington get first win over Tyabb in 107 years
  • Election picks linger for Liberals and Labor
  • Wakkakiri next week
  • Donations help land, sea projects
  • D-day looms large for local clubs
  • Wild weather strikes, finals fixtures locked in
  • The publisher of ‘The Standard’ stands for council
  • New sculpture to bloom in Love Flower’s place
Facebook Twitter
MPNEWSMPNEWS
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
MPNEWSMPNEWS
Home»Latest News»Welfare services hit by ‘unacceptable’ cuts
Latest News

Welfare services hit by ‘unacceptable’ cuts

By Stephen TaylorJuly 27, 2015Updated:July 27, 2015No Comments3 Mins Read
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

FUNDING cuts to emergency relief services have hit the Mornington Peninsula region hard.

Managers of community support and information centres say they are struggling to provide for the increasing food, clothing and welfare demands across the peninsula.

Rosebud, Hastings and Mornington support and information centres are usually the first point of contact for those in dire need in the local community.

They provide food vouchers, food parcels, assist with payments, provide advocacy and budgeting assistance and, generally, work in the best interests of those struggling.

But the welfare services are reeling from Department of Social Services funding cuts which stripped the region of more than $85,000 in emergency relief funding this financial year.

“These cuts are unacceptable given that many residents accessing the support and information centres are living on, or below, the poverty line,” Southern Peninsula Community Support and Information Centre manager Jackie Currie said.

“Many residents who are on fixed and low incomes have also experienced a reduction to their Centrelink payments recently through pension reforms.

“They are paying high rental and utility costs together with the ever increasing costs of day to day living expenses, such as food and fresh produce, education expenditure, essential medications and fuel.”

She said the department had also removed funding for intensive case management services to residents in crisis. The three support and information centres have vowed to continue these vital case management services despite the funding cuts.

“The emergency relief program is fantastic in helping those in crisis manage their immediate needs,” said Ms Currie, who is based at Rosebud.

“However, the case management program enables people to achieve real sustainable change, getting them out of the ‘crisis cycle’ all together.

“While we are doing everything we can to be innovative, these funding cuts simply mean we will have to deliver less and the most vulnerable in our community will suffer.”

Mornington Community Information and Support Centre manager Lisa Elliott said: “We have been incredibly hard hit and now have to look to our community to help fund these programs.”

Westernport Community Support manager John Fraser – based at Hastings – said: “The reduction in emergency relief funding is extremely disappointing.

“The information and support centres provide one of the few safety nets available to the marginalised, vulnerable and financially challenged members of the community.

“One of their main roles is to assist those who are most at risk and who are experiencing a short-term crisis.”

For more information or to make a donation to the community support and information centres contact:

Southern Peninsula Community Support and Information Centre, 878 Pt Nepean Rd, PO Box 91, Rosebud, 3939, call 5986 1285 or email:  admin@spcsic.org

Westernport Community Support, 185 High St, PO Box 93, Hastings, 3915, call 5979 2762 or email: info@wportcomsupport.org.au

Mornington Community Information and Support Centre, 320 Main St, Mornington, 3931, call 5975 1644 or email: manager@mcisc.org.au

First published in the Mornington News – 28 July 2015

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

Related Posts

‘Assurance’ sought over in-home care

August 15, 2022

Alert issued over deadly cat disease

August 15, 2022

Home care ‘lost in the queue’

August 15, 2022

Lack of indoor venues will ‘turn kids away’

August 15, 2022
Add A Comment

Comments are closed.

Weather
Aug 17, 2022 - Wed
Mornington, Australia
9°C
overcast clouds
overcast clouds
4 m/s, WNW
75%
763.57 mmHg
wed08/17 thu08/18 fri08/19 sat08/20 sun08/21
light rain
13/13°C
moderate rain
13/10°C
moderate rain
11/10°C
light rain
11/8°C
few clouds
10/10°C
Peninsula Essence Magazine

Click here to read

July 25, 2022
Peninsula Kids Magazine

Click here to read

May 26, 2022
Council Watch

Shire ‘committed’ to aged care

August 8, 2022

Shire not forced to drop aged care services

August 1, 2022
State Elections 2022

Election picks linger for Liberals and Labor

August 16, 2022

‘Justice’ for animals and climate

August 8, 2022

Peta Murphy wins second term in Dunkley

May 23, 2022
Interview

All aboard for murder mystery

July 25, 2022
Property of the Week

14 Lynch Court, Mt Martha

July 26, 2022
100 Years Ago This Week

The publisher of ‘The Standard’ stands for council

August 16, 2022
Contact
Street: 63 Watt Road, Mornington, 3931
Mailing: PO Box 588, Hastings, 3915
Menu
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
About

Established in 2006, Mornington Peninsula News Group (MPNG) is a locally owned and operated, independent media company.

MPNG publishes five weekly community newspapers: the Western Port News, Mornington News, Southern Peninsula News, Frankston Times and Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News.

MPNG also publishes two glossy magazines: Peninsula Essence and Peninsula Kids.

Facebook Twitter
© 2022 Mornington Peninsula News Group.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.