UNITING Wimmera will cease disability services at its Grahams Bridge Road site in Horsham after a restructure.
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Uniting Wimmera executive officer Josh Koenig said following the rollout of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, the organisation was reviewing how it met the needs of people with disabilities in the region.
The site at Grahams Bridge Road, which was formally Karkana Support Services, operates a vegetable processing business and a gardening business.
It provides supported employment for 29 people. A further five people are employed there as supervisors.
Mr Koenig said the site was no longer fit for purpose, with the services not providing transitional pathways into employment.
The site had also struggled to cover its operating costs.
"Our priority at this time is working closely with everyone connected to the Grahams Bridge Road site to identify new opportunities for them - whether with Uniting or elsewhere in the community," Mr Koenig said.
"We're really keen to provide full support through the transition and as of Tuesday, we have started meeting with families and employees to chat to them about what they want to do in the future."
Mr Koenig said Uniting Wimmera was consolidating the services it offered.
"There are a few rumours going around that we are getting out of the NDIS, but that is not the case at all - we are looking to see how we can stay viable and provide the best support for our community," he said.
"We'll be consulting people with a disability, their families and carers and the community more widely to understand the needs and aspirations of people with a disability."
Karkana Support Services was established in the 1970s.
Uniting Wimmera took it over in 2009.
Lyall Wheaton was chief executive of the service between 2003 and 2007.
He said a lot of people in the community would be sad to see it go.
"Many people were involved in the establishment of it in the beginning - it had an enormous amount of public support, especially in the early years," Mr Wheaton said.
Mr Wheaton said while it used to be a vital service in the region, demand had dropped in recent years.
Mr Koenig said if anyone had any questions or concerns about disability services in the region, they could contact Uniting Wimmera by phone or email.
"We are trying to be as transparent as possible in this process," he said.
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