Wednesday, 7 February 2024

 Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (17:46): (682) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Disability and concerns the shock closure of Tasty Plate in Warrnambool, an organisation which worked with people with disabilities, giving them a real opportunity to participate in the workforce, to develop skills and to provide much-loved catering services for their customers. Brophy Family and Youth Services took over the running of Tasty Plate from the original founders, and I am sorry to say I have heard considerable criticism in recent weeks of the job that they did. Firstly, this includes the shock manner of the closure and the sudden termination of 19 employees and 14 NDIS participants. Surely this could have been handled better. Secondly, the arguments given: COVID was referenced, but the major reason given was that there were insufficient participants. Businesses elsewhere have recovered from COVID, especially those with outside sources of funding like the NDIS, and organisations offering similar community services thrive elsewhere in our state. So in my view questions need to be asked of the management and board of Brophy. I have heard many doubts about the lack of participants too, including from families whose children were told they were unsuitable for the program despite its entire purpose being to help those in that situation.

A newspaper report quotes one potential employee with long experience in hospitality and customer-facing business saying:

They told me they had too many staff members and they told me they really only take school leavers.

Unsurprisingly and with commendable understatement he said of recent news:

I was a bit annoyed when I heard they’re closing because they don’t have enough participants.

I was interested to note that in the same newspaper article a Labor colleague of mine representing Western Victoria Region declined to comment on Tasty Plate’s closure and the impact it has had on the cafe, at the TAFE, in the new library, at Tasty Plate on Fairy Street and for the Warrnambool May race meeting catering contract.

It is clear that Brophy Family and Youth Services took over and ran a successful organisation which provided important services to the local community and at the same time offered great opportunities to local NDIS participants. The action I seek from the minister, however, is to ask: what lessons will be drawn from the failure of this service, which has enormous local and individual impact? Will there be a review of the board’s and management’s decisions, and will she encourage alternative provision in this space in Warrnambool?