A new report from Anglicare Australia is warning that people in regional and remote Australia are being left behind, with essential services stretched.

The report, In Every Community, draws on the experience of Anglicare Australia members, like Anglicare NSW South, NSW West & ACT. It finds that:

• Services in regional and remote areas are harder to access, and more likely to face underfunding, short-term contracts, and insecure staffing
• Funding is often allocated based on population, rather than community need or service gaps
• Providers are struggling to recruit and retain staff, and are being forced to deliver more with less.
• Community services are being asked to fill critical workforce shortages, with little or no government support.

“These are vital services — disability support, mental health care, aged care, and family services. But instead of being funded to meet local need, they’re too often treated as one-size-fits-all,” said Anglicare Australia Executive Director Kasy Chambers.

“Governments are planning from the centre, but expecting communities to pick up the pieces around the edges when funding doesn’t meet demand, or staff can’t be found.

“Our network is stepping up. Across the country, our members are growing their own workforces, building housing for their own staff, and partnering with local schools, training providers, and First Nations organisations.

“These solutions are working, but they are too often treated as one-offs. We need governments to back them in — not just with words, but with long-term, flexible funding so services can grow and stay in the communities they serve.”