Launceston disability sport and recreation organisation New Horizons fears it could shut down in mid-2020 as a result of no ongoing funding under the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Once the NDIS rollout is complete in Tasmania in June, New Horizons will be solely reliant on donations and will need to compete with other organisations for two-year grant funding.
Up to 18 disability bodies in Tasmania - mostly advocacy groups - will be in the same position.
Chief executive officer Belinda Kitto said as a sport and recreation provider, and volunteer-based organisation, New Horizons did not fit the NDIS model.
She said relying on grants and donations was not a sustainable position.
"We’ve got some savings that could keep the doors open for a little while, but without people getting behind us, we’d have to close the doors in … maybe 12 months," Ms Kitto said.
"We’ll certainly be lobbying to find other ways that we can be funded because it’s such a vital organisation for the community.
"It goes far beyond sport and recreation. It can be life-changing.
"You’ve only got to listen to some of their stories about how they’ve grown, and been able to develop through the opportunities that New Horizons have provided."
She said the grant stream, called Information, Linkages and Capacity Building, were not awarded last year as expected, and they would have to wait until late this year to find out if they were successful for funding.
Over 500 people use the services offered by New Horizons, which expanded to become statewide last year.
New Horizons has opened a savings account in the meantime, and their annual Western Tiers Cycle Challenge on March 24 was now a vital source of funding.
Shifting from block-funded to individual-based system with NDIS
Member for Bass Ross Hart met with New Horizons on Tuesday and promised to lobby for funding, and said many organisations were suffering during the transition to the NDIS.
"The NDIS is a fantastic initiative, but there will always be an issue where previously block-funded organisations are supposedly transferring to the individual-based system," he said.
"We've had serious concerns about the implementation of the NDIS, particularly the outsourcing of positions in NDIA to consultants and contractors.
"You get better outcomes all-round if public sector workers are used, employed by NDIA, you can have more consistency and oversight in policy areas."
New Horizons provides sport, recreation and social opportunities for people with all types of disabilities and all ages through 18 weekly programs.
It also holds social activities and uses partnerships with AFL Tasmania and Cricket Tasmania to increase participation in sports.
A spokesperson for the social services minister Paul Fletcher said a "new approach" to delivering the ILC grants would "empower people with disability to access their community and achieve their goals".
"As announced by the government in December 2018, a new approach to ILC will provide opportunities for organisations to access funding to strengthen the capacity of people with disability to engage in the community and to also help build a more inclusive and accessible Australia," she said.
The spokesperson did not address concerns raised by New Horizons.
Support New Horizons with annual Western Tiers Cycle Challenge
New Horizons will hold its annual Western Tiers Cycle Challenge on March 24, featuring five race distances from 24 kilometres to 140 kilometres.
The cycling event starts at the Prospect Park Sports Club on Harley Parade and works its way through the Meander Valley, including return.
The event includes both social and challenging rides.
For more information, visit www.tascyclechallenge.org.au