“As a person living with disability (PWD) with over 30 years of experience working in the disability sector, I created, shape and deliver with thousands of PWD, my fellow cofounder Mr Mike Clark, organisations and providers, Victoria’s largest, free, disability event for the community every year, via the Disability Connection Expo, held at the MCEC over two massive days, said Mr River Night, Cofounder and Director of Developing Australian Communities and ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Disability Sector Advocate.
“I cannot contain my utter outrage and disappointment at this month’s response from the Victorian Government, refusing to provide any support for our event that will see 8000 or more Victorians and interstate representatives over two huge days, after over 8 months of discussion.
“We are not like the other smaller expos that are booths and pamphlets. We are the biggest disability and NDIS related event in Victoria’s history and a massive community celebration with information and supports all day open free to the public, with community capacity building and free entertainment all day that is a safe space for people to just be themselves. Many people attend both days.
“Many other trade exhibitions charge up to 4 to five times the prices we are to their exhibitors, whilst also charging $30 or more per person to attend. We are here to support the disability sector, and we cannot and will not charge those fees as it makes it prohibitive to both participants and service providers. Monetary support from the State Government means that this event is more inclusive and can reach the lives of more of the 4.4million Australians living with disability”, said Mr Clark, Cofounder and Director of Developing Australian Communities.
“In Perth we saw over 10 000 people attend the event last month and I was extremely moved to hear from the peak advocacy body in WA that we give free space to every year, they were able to intercept and support 3 separate people that were at the point of suicide that day”, said Mr River Night, Cofounder and Director of Developing Australian Communities and ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Disability Sector Advocate.
“These events are essential to the community and the support of the Government will not just help those living with disability, but it will save lives.
“The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) is a State Government owned and operated venue. It provides in-kind support and works hard to deliver some huge events with State Government support, like the Arms Expo this month that resulted in millions of additional funds and resources from Government invested due to the protests and disruption it caused. That warrants major spending, but the Disability Sector’s requests for a tiny amount of support has resulted in a deafening ‘no’.
“With the NDIS planning cuts and redirection of tens of thousands of people back to relying on state based supports, we now look to the Victorian Government more than ever to reassure us as a community that they recognise the work that must be done to ensure our hospitals and other current services are not overwhelmed, though a lack of planning or priority. Supporting the community to connect through its biggest event is essential.
“Clearly the opportunity to support Victoria’s largest, free, Disability event, to demonstrate the urgent priority to connect local services in our sector during a time of huge uncertainty, is not recognised and devalues our community once again.
“I would have thought that with our own Federal Minister for NDIS having his electorate in Victoria and the MCEC being a state owned and run venue, the request for a discount or some in-kind support would be a simple one and an easy way to support the disability sector without any huge outlay.
“I have contacted our Federal Minister Mr Shorten and requested discussion on how we can support our events several times over the years, with no outcome or commitment. I did the same with the previous Liberal government. The lack of interest to provide real support has been concerning.
“For 8 months I have been contacting The Hon. Steve Dimopoulos, Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, Minister for Environment and Minister for Outdoor Recreation to ask for help with venue costs for the biggest Disability Event for Victoria, at the State owned and operated MCEC, as well as, the Hon. Jacinta Allan, Victoria’s Premier and the Hon. Lizzie Blandthorn, Victoria’s Minister for Children and Disability. The outcome has been a simple ‘no’.
“At one stage in my discussions with Government this past 8 months they suggested asking for funds from the MCEC. I cannot quite understand why a State owned and run venue would give us funds or a grant to pay themselves with.
The MCEC management, staff, security and commitment to accessibility are always outstanding and they are the most professional team you could ever work with on huge events. We are completely committed to the MCEC for Victoria’s biggest Disability event and considering any other venue is just not an option for our community.
“What we have requested from the Victorian State Government is simple. Charity organisations, state-based providers or community services (our foundational services) can’t afford huge fees to exhibit like corporations attending trade shows, so we need a little help with the hundreds of thousands of dollars we must find. We could easily have seen our event twice as big with far more supports for the community with just a little help.
“We must use venues like MCEC for our events as people with disabilities need a central, accessible venue of the highest standing and the MCEC staff and venue are next to no one in the amazing work they do. Our event provides our community a chance to connect and ensure supports are well coordinated which no other event can. This reduces the load on the Victorian Government and Community Sector so why not help a little?
“We must stop the cost blow outs and overspending in the Disability Sector by doing things that require a small amount of investment with huge return like events such as ours.
“The benefits to the State from our massive event every year are huge and the positive impact on our community is priceless. The money saved by making the access to services and supports easy and streamlined is huge, when we consider the Disability Royal Commission found that the impact of doing nothing on our economy, to address problems, is 40+ billion dollars a year or more on top of the NDIS costs.
“People living with disability and their families don’t have time to play politics. We simply want to see sensible action that is not far left or far right but addresses the major issues we currently see in Australia with concrete action and codesign in a balanced, intelligent and well budgeted way.
Erin McGrath, a candidate for Democracy First, is 36 and has complex disabilities (MS, epilepsy, autism, ADHD). Erin explained, “I need to be in Parliament, so I am standing for the seat of Maribyrnong in the next Federal Election, a seat that the Hon Mr Bill Shorten, our resigning Labor NDIS Minister currently holds”.
“We want to represent the 80% of Australians who know our system is broken and has to be fixed. We have a very specific goal – to hold the balance of power in Canberra to force reform of our democracy and political institutions.
“Politicians and governments all say they support local solutions. They don’t mean it, of course. If they meant it, they would establish a process by which local solutions can be developed and implemented. But they don’t do that.
“Each year we get some support from amazing, leading providers in our community but the event costs close to $500 000.00 every year and we do this with not one dollar of help from the State or Federal Government interested in local solutions and building a strong community where we invest money wisely and reduce the budget blow outs”, said Mr Night today.
“Right now, we are calling on one thing. A little help from the Victorian State Government for the largest, free, Disability event in Victoria’s history next month. We need an urgent response as we do so much as a community and the reality is we need a hand to afford to pay for a venue the public owns. At this time of budget blow outs this is a small investment with clear, big impact.
“Perhaps our only option for support will be for a private corporation or person that really cares about our community to come forward and offer a helping hand. I am certainly open to a call or email any time as I have put my heart and sole into delivering Victoria’s biggest Disability event every year and all I am asking for is a little help with the hundreds of thousands of dollars it costs me to do this for my community.
Can you help us find supporters and ask Victorian Sate Government to please provide a little help to an event that does so much for Victoria every year.
Key Facts:
Event Link https://developingauscommunities.com.au/melbourne-expo-2024-visitor/
The Disability Connection Expo, sponsored by Blossom Community Care is on 10am -4pm Friday 18 and Saturday 19 October 2024 at the MCEC.
