By Peter Douglas
MELBA Support Services and Ballarat-based Karden Disability Support Foundation are set to join forces, with a merger expected to become official before July next year.
In an effort to strengthen long-term sustainability, the merger aims to help both not-for-profit organisations to expand their services and better meet the needs of individuals under the incoming National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
As part of the merger, some Karden Board members will join the Melba Board, while a dedicated Ballarat advisory committee will be established.
Incumbent Melba Chief Executive Officer, Glenn Foard, will head the merged organisation, with counterpart CEO Rachael Jones to take on a role as senior manager.
Mr Foard assured the community all present services and staff would be retained.
“We’ve always admired Karden because we share many of the same values,” Mr Foard said.
“We’re taking the best of what we both have to offer, this is about sitting down and working out the best way to offer these services.
“This will be a great advantage to us as the NDIS comes into effect, early in the year in Ballarat, then later in the Yarra Ranges.”
Mr Foard says he expects the NDIS will result in a more competitive environment, where more choice for services will become available.
He believes the merger will leave both organisations better placed to transition to the environment the NDIS is expected to bring.
Melba Support Services provides services throughout eastern and southern Melbourne, while Karden provides services throughout the Central Highlands region.
Melba Chair Dr John Annison said the merger would allow the organisations to better the needs of individuals under NDIS.
“The care and well-being of the individuals supported by both organisations are our priority,” he said.
“It has been critical to ensure there won’t be any change to the services they receive; nor the high-quality service we provide.”
Meanwhile, Box Hill Institute will be widening its course and offering and buying specialist equipment for classes after receiving more than $10 million from the Victorian Government.
Training and Skills Minister Gayle Tierney visited BHI’s Lilydale Lakeside campus on Tuesday 13 December with Education Minister James Merlino and BHI CEO Norman Gray AM for a tour of the campus.
After visiting several classrooms, Ms Tierney announced $750,000 for the education provider under its Specialised Teaching Equipment Initiative.
Ms Tierney then announced a further $9.3 million in funding to prepare the campus for the beginning of its Skills First program, beginning next year.
“What happens next is Skills First and the intent of that is to create a new training system that puts government-funded TAFE at the centre of it,” she said.
“It’s not down there, through the floor, which is the policy of the previous government, it is making sure that we have a sustainable and systemic TAFE system in this state, and that people identify with TAFE, but they identify with their local TAFE.”
Yarra Ranges Council CEO Glenn Patterson and councillors Jim Child and Tony Stevenson were present for the announcement, along with BHI chairman Jack Diamond, staff and a student.
Ms Tierney said the $750,000 would purchase equipment needed for courses that were “directly connected to industry and jobs”.
“I know that is desperately needed here and will be put to enormous use,” she said.
BHI will purchase a full-motion flight simulator, which will allow for more enrolments in flight courses.
The $9.3 million, meanwhile, was dubbed ‘TAFE Boost Funding’ ahead of the Skills First program beginning, which Ms Tierney said would help to increase course offerings and enrolments.
As of Tuesday 13 December, more than 1000 students have enrolled in courses through the Lilydale Lakeside campus which also provides courses through Deakin University and William Angliss Institute.
