The People Place chairman Tony Robinson said the state government has ‘abandoned’ the Busselton community when they confirmed the organisation will not be funded past 2020.
The People Place, formerly the Busselton Family Centre, has provided various programs for families, children and seniors for 25 years.
The organisation has received mixed messages from the state government since it applied for the Empowering Communities Program.
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Days before Christmas the state government told The People Place they no longer wanted Busselton to have its own community governed centre.
However the government said it would extend the organisation’s contract until 2020 and would work with the organisation so it could continue into the future.
The New Year has been a different story with Mr Robinson meeting with the department on January 16, where they told him the government would not be extending the funding past 2020.
He said they explained that the application didn’t match what the government wanted and that it was too family oriented.
“If we do not exist, there will be no community governed centre within 50 kilometres of Busselton. For a population of 36,000 plus, that is truly a disgrace,” he said.
Funding has gone to South West organisations Milligan Community Learning Centre in Bunbury, Bridgetown Family & Community Centre and Northcliffe Family Centre.
The Department of Communities Acting Assistant Director General Brad Jolly said the state government recognises the need for a community neighbourhood service in Busselton and have funded The People Place to provide that service.
“The People Place were not successful in the recent Empowering Communities Program tender process,”Mr Jolly said.
“Nonetheless, the state government has funded The People Place to 30 June 2020 - a full year and a half - and will work closely with them to develop a service model that fits the requirements of the Empowering Communities Program and ensures no one loses access to services.”
Mr Robinson was told by Minister Simone McGurk that these groups would be able to provide the appropriate services to the region.
“It is unconscionable that the biggest population in the South West isn’t represented,” he said.
Vasse MLA Libby Mettam is calling for a meeting with the minister, The People Place CEO and chairman.
“It is essential that strong locally supported community centres are supported without any further uncertainty going forward,” she said. Ms Mettam said the lack of support for the community centre shows the government’s disregard for the needs of regional WA.
“The community would be severely disadvantaged without The People Place and the broad range of programs they have available, particularly as they are the only support services of its kind in the area,” she said.
