By NOEL MURPHY
LIFELINE’s Geelong chief has warned a looming State Government funding cut will endanger lives as the agency is forced to cut the calls it can answer.
Board chair Joe Crosbie said growing social and financial desperation across Geelong had increased calls to the service by 40 per cent to 10,000 a year.
But Spring Street was now about to reverse a funding increase of $50,000 a year secured 18 months ago under the previous government, he said yesterday.
“We don’t have it in writing yet but that’s what the Department of Human Services (DHS) has told us.”
Mr Crosbie said Lifeline Geelong had only just managed to turn around a serious deficit from increasing demand when it found itself faced with the new cash crisis.
“Basically, we’ve just continued to answer more calls. Three years ago we took 7000, that’s risen to 10,000 this year – around 40 per cent over just three years.”
Mr Crosbie said job losses and straitened financial circumstances across Geelong had been key factors in the extra demand.
Lifeline has been receiving around $100,000 in state cash for its centres in five DHS-designated regions across Victoria. Barwon Southwest, the only region with two Lifeline centres, was granted an extra $50,000 and $25,000 annually over three years for its Geelong and Warrnambool agencies respetively under the previous government.
South Barwon Liberal MP Andrew Katos said the funding increase was to recognise the unique circumstances of the region.
The proposed cuts would hit hard at some of Geelong’s most vulnerable, he said.
“If you’re going to cut something to balance a budget why would you cut Lifeline? It’s pretty heartless.
“We’ve got a lot of issues with retrenched workers and drug and alcohol problems. These are the sort of services people reach out to if someone is having suicidal tendencies.
“That’s why we increased the funding.”
The latest Lifeline threat follows a crisis 18 months ago when rising wages, costs and new protocols undermined its ability to meet growing demand.
Lifeline Geelong has 40 telephone counsellors and another 60 staff working across five shops in Geelong, Drysdale and Colac. Lifeline Geelong had to draw $40,000 from its reserves to keep afloat in 2013 despite the $50,000 funding boost.
