Herald Sun: Premier fights battles on two fronts as disability workers protest in Bendigo

Disability support workers protest outside Premier Jacinta Allan’s Bendigo office over funding cuts

Disability support workers and NDIS recipients have protested outside Jacinta Allan’s Bendigo office — while she battles striking teachers in Melbourne — who say looming closures threaten to impact hundreds of locals. By Eddie Russell Link to article here.

Protesters swarm Premier Jacinta Allan's Bendigo office to voice their outrage at cuts to disability services. Picture: Eddie Russell

Furious disability support workers have opened up a new front on Premier Jacinta Allan while she battles striking teachers in Melbourne by flocking to her Bendigo office in a desperate bid to stop $2.1bn being slashed from the sector.

The loss of funding means 11 group homes housing 75 NDIS recipients and employing 150 workers are at risk of closing in Bendigo, according to the Health and Community Services Union.

One Kangaroo Flat group home is among 29 other specialist disability accommodation sites to have shut in regional Victoria since January this year.

Now, the region’s most vulnerable residents could end up living in squalor or even out on the street.

The protest comes as teachers strike across Victoria, heaping pressure on the state government and shutting down classrooms.

While the NDIS is funded by the Federal Government, each Victorian Labor since 2014 government has contributed funding to make up for the scheme’s shortfalls.

However, $2.1bn in subsidies for the five disability providers who manage 600 formerly state-owned group homes was quietly cut on December 31, 2025.

Disability sector employee Peter Romer outside the Premier’s office. Picture: Eddie Russell

Disability sector employee Peter Romer, who has worked in Bendigo for nine years, said the ripple effect of the “likely” closures would impact “everyone”.

“Participants could end up in hospitals, aged care facilities, anywhere that’s really got a bed,” he said.

“When you want to take your kids to the hospital and there’s no beds, that’s because we’ve got people with disability who don’t have a home taking those beds up.”

Mr Romer said that the Premier had betrayed her hometown by breaking a decade-old promise made by her predecessor Dan Andrews to fund Victorian disability services.

“(Ms Allan) and her government are not doing the right thing by Bendigo … I really ask Jacinta to ask herself what is she worth and what is her word worth.”

The furious protesters, made up of disability support workers and advocates, claim the state government failed to warn them of the cuts. Picture: Eddie Russell

“It’s a bit shortsighted – maybe the Allan Labor government have forgotten how well Bendigo turn out and fight; we don’t give up.

Despite the outcry, the state government have refused to backtrack on the cuts.

“They have not come back to the table, not come to negotiations; they’ve just wiped their hands clean,” Mr Romer said.

“It seems the Allan Labor government have pulled out all of their life rafts and expect us to all jump on the NDIS, which is just not possible … the NDIS is not meant to be the only lifeboat in the river.”

Ms Allan is nowhere to be seen while protesters chant outside her Bendigo office. Picture: Eddie Russell

Disabled Bendigo residents relying on these services face serious challenges if nothing changes, Mr Romer said.

“Quality of care will go down and the qualifications required to do this job will be non-existent.

“The potential is that they’ll have what we call ‘cowboy providers’ with no rules, no registration, providing the lowest of low quality.

“I don’t think the Labor government could be ignoring this too much longer.”

Ms Allan did not respond when contacted for comment.