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Dateline
- December 13, 2006
Minister reassures Victorian veterans regarding
their ability to access home care services
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Minister
for Veterans' Affairs Bruce Billson today reassured veterans and
war widows across Victoria that they will continue to receive
high quality home care services as part of a successful program
supporting them to live in their own homes. The Department of
Veterans' Affairs (DVA) currently contracts around 300 organisations
across Australia to assess veterans and war widows and widowers
for Veterans' Home Care (VHC) services and to deliver those services.
These contracts are due to expire at the end of 2006 and a nation-wide
tender process, the first since the start of the program in 2001,
has been conducted.
"It is extremely disappointing that the Municipal Association
of Victoria (MAV) is trying to scare veterans in the lead up to
the Christmas period with its irresponsible and inaccurate statements,"
Mr Billson said. "Representatives from my department have
met with the MAV and fully explained the process, including transitional
arrangements that are in place. Instead of considering the facts
of the matter it is obvious that MAV president Cr Dick Gross is
more interested in playing politics at the
expense of veterans.
"The majority of veterans will be unaffected by this tender
process, with the majority of current service providers-including
more than 40 municipal councils across Victoria-continuing to
provide VHC services. A consortium was formed in at least two
regions by councils, to successfully tender for VHC services,"
Mr Billson said. "In any competitive tender process, there
will be some current providers who are not successful. While the
MAV would prefer the Government ignore its own procurement policies,
a government tender process needs to be conducted in accordance
with the Commonwealth Procurement Guidelines. No matter how good
a current service provider is, all tenders must be considered
equally.
"The Government's focus is on maintaining the high quality
of care to the veteran community throughout the change over to
new contracts and arrangements are in place to ensure this occurs,"
Mr Billson said. "Most unsuccessful service providers are
putting their clients' needs first and working with DVA to ensure
a smooth transition, with current contracts extended if necessary.
If veterans experience any disruption to their VHC services or
have concerns they should contact their local VHC assessment agency
in the first instance or ring DVA on 133 254 or 1800 555 254,"
he said.
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