By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
A refurbished office building opposite TAC’s head office in Brougham St will be DisabilityCare Australia’s “interim” headquarters, Federal Goverment sources have comfirmed.
The selection of the site at 43 Brougham St in Geelong’s waterfront precinct follows Mayor Keith Fagg’s call in the Independent last month for DisabilityCare, the National Disability Insurance Scheme, to be in the central city area.
Disability Reform Minister Jenny Macklin said the interim head office would have about 100 permanent staff before moving to larger premises in the future.
Ms Macklin said the new head office should be open early next year, with spaces for national operations management, the agency’s chief and executive support and corporate services staff.
“About 300 permanent staff members are expected to be located at the DisabilityCare headquarters in Geelong once the scheme is fully rolled out from 2019-20,” Ms Macklin said.
Recruitment for head office positions would begin within weeks, adding to about 120 DisabiltyCare Australia staff in the Barwon launch office.
Ms Macklin said the decision to locate the head office in Geelong was due to its “strong capacity to support such an important national agency” and with a $25 million sweetener from the Victorian Government.
“Putting DisabilityCare Australia’s head office in Geelong will help attract investment to the region and create new jobs for local people,” she said.
“Geelong is an established regional hub with a strong record in driving innovation in disability, health and community services.”
Ms Macklin said more than 500 appointments were already arranged with local disabled people to begin developing individual DisabilityCare plans.
Councillor Fagg said the new office would provide a boost for the central city area.
“DisabilityCare says it wants to recruit the majority of its staff locally, which is great for Geelong,” he said.
“It means 100 more people in the CBD shopping, buying lunch and doing business.
“The CBD taskforce is to be formally established in the next few weeks and will work with DisabilityCare Australia on its future needs.
“There will be many great spin off benefits.
“Geelong can become recognised as an Australian centre of excellence in insurance and attract disability businesses and providers.
“We have to do all we can to ensure the city is as accessible and friendly as possible for people using the service.
“There has been discussion on establishing a traveller’s aid centre in the centre of Geelong,” he said.
