By Goya Dmytryshchak and Benjamin Millar
Maribyrnong and Hobsons Bay councils have voted to outsource services for some of the west’s most vulnerable residents, despite pleas by state and federal MPs to hold off.
The councils will sub-contract domestic assistance, personal care and in-home respite for the elderly and people with a disability to Uniting AgeWell, due to possible changes in federal funding.
The councils last Tuesday held in-camera, or private, meetings to make a decision on the tenders initiated last year.
Maribyrnong councillors endorsed a decision to outsource in-home support. Staff were informed of the intended new arrangements.
At the end of Hobsons Bay’s ordinary council meeting, chief executive Aaron van Egmond received a rescission motion signed by two councillors to reverse the decision made in-camera.
Star Weekly understands the signatures were from deputy mayor Michael Grech and councillor Tony Briffa, who had earlier voted against the tender being decided behind closed doors.
By law, a rescission motion must be heard at the next scheduled council meeting or alternatively at a special council meeting.
Hobsons Bay mayor Jonathon Marsden called a special meeting, closed to the public, for 9am last Saturday.
At that meeting the rescission motion was defeated, meaning that the council’s original decision last Tuesday to outsource still stood.
Council staff were notified by letter on Monday. They have been offered counselling.
Maurice Blackburn principal lawyer Daniel Victory, acting for the Australian Services Union, has questioned the legality of the Saturday meeting.
The council received legal advice that the meeting was valid.
In a letter sent to Hobsons Bay mayor Jonathon Marsden, Mr Victory said the meeting breached the Local Government Act because seven days notice was not given.
State and federal MPs earlier this month urged both councils not to outsource home care, given the likelihood of a federal Labor government which would guarantee funding.
During public question time, a number of people implored Maribyrnong council to keep the services in-house but their pleas failed to sway the councillors.
Maribyrnong mayor Martin Zakharov said the council would continue to manage the funding and quality assurance processes for these services until at least 2020.
“We are committed to minimising change and maintaining both quality and continuity of care,” he said.
“The central objective of this process has been to appoint a high quality provider, with a comprehensive service offering who will ensure the continuing availability of services to support people to live as independently as possible within their own home.
“The decision to enter this subcontracting arrangement is based on providing the best support possible for our clients, community and employees as the aged-care and disability service systems are reformed by the federal government.”
