Member for Benalla, Bill Sykes paid tribute to the many organisations and volunteers who devote their time and expertise to look after and support people in need of care Sykes in his contribution to the debate in Parliament on the Carers Recognition Bill 2012 this week.
Dr Sykes said, “The Bill recognises the vital role of over 700,000 carers in Victoria, including a great many in the electorate of Benalla.”
He said the Bill will provide legislative recognition of the contribution that carers make and will have a positive effect on the day to day experiences of people in need of care.
“I have the highest regard for carers, including the many I have met in the electorate of Benalla.
“Mansfield Autism Statewide Services, in particular the travelling teacher service, provide important care. People such as Jenny Cleeland, Simone Reeves and Christine Holland, while they are salaried people give way beyond what they are paid to do.
“Through their leadership, other people in the community contribute fantastically to the wellbeing of people experiencing autism.”
Dr Sykes paid tribute to the work of Dr Joan Curtis, who set in place a program that has helped young people with autism to realise their potential in the Mansfield area and also statewide.
Dr Sykes continued, “Closer to Benalla we have the Benalla Support Group for Children with Special Needs, whose coordinator is Trudi-Anne Eaton.
“Another support and carers group in Benalla is lead by Sally Martin, whose son Will put together a cookbook to help promote the group. It has gone on to be a bestseller locally. This is a credit to Sally and others around him.
“There are other people as well, such as Ann Carroll in Mansfield and Valda Martin in Ruffy. Amanda Bertok in Nagambie has put in a fantastic effort supporting people in the community.
“A group in Bright, led by Bernece Delany and Cheryl Sanderson, is amazing in what members manage to achieve.”
Dr Sykes told Parliament, “There are many other forms of caring relationships. One that is particularly active in the Euroa area is the Euroa senior citizens register, which has been set up by the police and Euroa Health to support older people who are still living independently.
“Even groups such as Meals on Wheels, of which my wife is an active participant as a member of the Rotary Club, is not just about producing and delivering meals for people, it also provides that social contact.
“Our service clubs, such as Rotary, Lions and Apex and other community spirited organisations are part of that group of unsung heroes – our carers.”
Dr Sykes also talked about the work under the umbrella of Yooralla (previously known as Central Access and Ballendella) which has a large amount of volunteer input as well as salaried staff.
“This is an example of the community recognising the need for people, in this case with an intellectual disability, to be supported and for the families that are looking after those individuals to also be supported.
“These people are able to be involved in various forms of employment and get a real buzz out of being able to do something productive.
“I know that other groups, such as the Tatong Football and Netball Club, involve people with some disability in boundary umpiring.”
Dr Sykes concluded, “What we have in this Bill is a movement towards recognising the extremely valuable role of carers.”

In a move that has been welcomed by the Member for Benalla, Bill Sykes, Victoria will soon have legislation that sets out clear expectations for organisations that engage with carers.
The Carers Recognition Bill 2012 recognises all carers, including young carers, kinship and foster carers, and people providing support and assistance for someone with a mental or chronic illness and those supporting ageing parents, the frail aged or a person with a disability.
Dr Sykes said, “The Coalition Government has honoured an election commitment with the introduction of the Carers Recognition Bill 2012 and I welcome the legislation which sets out clear expectations on the treatment of carers throughout Victoria.
“In my electorate, for example, there are many individuals who care for loved ones with a disability, people who open their doors to give young people a home and organisations such as Mansfield Autism Statewide Services who provide support for parents and their children with autism spectrum disorders.
“These people make an enormous contribution to the community and they deserve support and recognition for what they contribute,” he said.
The Bill will bring Victoria into line with legislation in other states and territories and the Commonwealth.
Community Services Minister, Mary Wooldridge said that the Bill will raise the status of carers and care relationships in the community and sets out principles recognising carers for their contribution.
“The Bill is unique in recognising care relationships. Carers and the people they care for are in a shared arrangement and if the care relationship is strong, the carer and the person being cared for will have better lives.
“This approach to recognising the significance of care relationships has been the subject of extensive consultation.”
The legislation requires government and funded agencies to reflect on care relationship principles in the conduct of their business and report annually on the actions they have taken to comply with the principles.
The Victorian Charter Supporting People in Care Relationships will be updated to reflect the new legislation and will support implementation of the Bill.