Anam Cara House Geelong fighting for federal funding from 2021
Federal funding of almost $1m has been pulled from Anam Cara House Geelong after it could not match the money, meaning eight beds at the end of life facility are unlikely to eventuate.
Geelong
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The pleas of a Geelong organisation that provides end of life care have fallen on deaf ears as a Commonwealth department doubles down on its decision to withdraw almost $1m of funding.
Anam Cara House was to deliver eight additional palliative care bedrooms, each with an ensuite, at its Highton base with the money it was granted in October 2021 via the federal government’s Building Better Regions Fund.
Those beds now look unlikely to eventuate after ACH was unable to raise the funds required to match the $940,000 contribution from the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.
ACH opened its new facility, located within the grounds of Deakin University’s Waurn Ponds campus, in October 2023 and board chair Diana Taylor said costs associated with its running had soaked up funds and it needed more time to come up with the cash.
Under the original funding agreement, the works were to be completed by the end of 2023.
This was extended by 12 months “in recognition of the challenges that grantees have faced in recent years, including Covid”, a department spokesman said.
An application to have the date pushed back again, this time to the end of 2026, has been knocked back despite the advocacy of local Labor MPs Richard Marles and Libby Coker.
“There are no further extensions to the program available,” the department spokesman said.
Ms Taylor said the non-delivery of the eight beds would come at a cost to the community by reducing strain on an already stretched health system.
“There’s a loss of almost 3000 bed nights of care every year,” she said.
“Without the funding, Anam Cara is not going be able to fit out those eight bedrooms.”
ACH currently has 12 beds and Ms Taylor is holding out hope, particularly in an election year, that the organisation can still access the funding.
Mr Marles, who spoke at the facility’s 2023 opening, said he had made multiple representations to the relevant minister and department.
“There have been productive conversations, but according to the department all avenues have been explored,” he said.
“This is disappointing but I continue to advocate on behalf of Anam Cara.”
A spokesman for Ms Coker said the MP “always advocates for the best outcome for her communities”.
“Libby has consistently spoken to the department about funding for Anam Cara,” he said.
Sarah Henderson, who was praised by Ms Taylor in the original funding announcement for “her constant support”, said “Geelong needs and deserves these end-of-life beds”.
“The government needs to step in here and fix this mess to ensure these beds are funded,” she said.
ACH originally received funding of $2.2m, which was later revised down to $1.4m after some works were deemed ineligible.
About $450,000 was spent on the installation of a commercial kitchen, library and laundry.
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