Federal Member for Wide Bay Llew O’Brien today visited Little Haven to officially announce that he has secured $750,000 funding to be delivered as $250,000 annually over the next 3 years from the Federal Government for Little Haven.
This funding is the result of 2 years of continuous lobbying culminating in Llew O’Brien MP securing a a face to face meeting for Little Havens CEO Sue Manton with the Federal Health Minister, the Hon. Greg Hunt in December 2018. As a result of that meeting Little Haven was invited by the Minister to submit an application for relief funding from the Federal Government.
With Llew’s advocacy our submission was approved, with the relief funding signed off on by the Prime Minister the Hon. Scott Morrison. Below is the announcement being made in Minister Hunts office in Canberra.
Update: 3rd June 2019 – Little Haven awaits a written contract from The Federal Govt Department of Health for this promised funding.
This relief funding is a real morale boost for the Gympie community and Little Haven that currently needs to contribute in excess of $600,000 per year to care for those with a terminal illness and their families. This amount is increasing each year as demand for in the home based palliative care model that Little Haven has developed with the communities backing, just keeps growing, and is now out of reach for this albeit generous, low socio economic community to find.
Little Haven community sponsors and volunteers attended the announcement at Little Haven with Channel 7 Sunshine Coast news coverage providing a good snapshot of the morning.
This Federal Government relief funding has given our community some breathing space whilst we continue to lobby the Queensland Government to for a sustainable and equitable funding package.
