Unpaid primary care givers are the backbone of community care. They provide most of the care needed by people with a disability or chronic illness, and make it possible for the majority of people who need care and assistance to remain at home in their local community.

The work of unpaid family carers has made it possible for governments to reduce the high costs of institutional services. The contribution carers make to society in Australia is estimated to be $30.5 billion per year, and yet providing care can have high personal costs in terms of financial security, health and well being and social exclusion.

In our 2009-2010 Pre Budget Priorities, Carers Victoria calls on the Victorian Government to reinvest the money carers save our economy into services that improve carer health, well being and quality of life.

We want real change, not short change for carers.

Download a copy of our Pre Budget Priorities 2009-10 (PDF file, 240 KB)

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A joint venture project of Carers NSW, St James Ethics Centre and Macquarie Group Foundation

Australians are now looking with concern at the future and the care needs of a variety of populations. These range from an ageing population with increased numbers of people living longer who have a physical or intellectual disability or mental illness, to babies and children with complex care needs. 

What ethical challenges might we as a society face to meet the changes in the needs of both the cared for and those who do the caring

We invite you and all of your family, friends and colleagues to participate in the on-line National Conversation, starting 6 September on www.ethics.org.au 

From 1 September, there will be changes to Victoria’s Equal Opportunity Act (1995) to give protection from discrimination to working parents and carers who are trying to balance work and family responsibilities.

We know from our members that lack of workplace flexibility is a key issue for carers and Carers Victoria congratulates Victoria for being the first state in Australia to take such a step.

Carers Victoria helped to develop practical guidelines to inform employers and employees about these changes and what they might mean.

Building eQuality in the workplace: Family Responsibilities - Guidelines for Employers and Employees is available for download on the Commission’s website. If you are a Carers Victoria member and are of working age, you should receive a copy with your next newsletter.  If you do not receive a copy and would like one, or if you would like extra copies, please contact Carers Victoria Information Distribution on 9396 9500.

On Tuesday 12 August , the Inquiry into Better Support for Carers asked Carers Victoria to present our submission at their Public Hearing in Melbourne.  A number of partner organisations and carers were also invited to present and the day was full of powerful stories and great ideas.

Our presentation aimed to send simple messages about complex ideas.  We took the opportunity to speak up about the difficult circumstances carers face – particularly in relation to their health, wellbeing and financial circumstances.

If Australia is serious about providing choice for carers, we need to tackle three key areas of reform.  All are inter-related.  None can be dealt with in isolation.

• We need changes to the income support and tax system, including government funded superannuation for those who provide long term care;

• We need to legislate to make paid work more compatible with caring, including the right to request flexible work; and

• We need to provide support services that are affordable, flexible and of good quality.

The contribution made by Victorian carers to the submission process was the largest in the country. You have shown the government that Victorians have high expectations.  

We are excited about working with government, in a whole of government approach, to achieve change.

We will be watching closely to make sure that the recommendations of the Inquiry truly improve the lives of those who are caring – now and in the future.

Read our full submission to find out more…

Download our submission (PDF file, 0.98 MB) WARNING Large File

PDF files are read using Adobe Acrobat. Click here to download a copy of Acrobat Reader from the Internet.