Seniors, disabled people and carers who use the Moreland council’s services were shocked to receive a letter dated 1 June 2016, announcing that access to Aged and Disability Home Support Services would be restricted to Monday to Friday, 7am to 7pm, until the end of the year. These services range from council employees assisting individuals with shopping, showering and other social and health needs through to providing carers with respite so that they can recharge, give attention to other family members and manage other parts of their life. No warning had been given of these cuts and no prior consultation was carried out. Since the clients affected have issues that exist 24 hours a day this sudden announcement caused much distress. The reduced hours of access did not address the needs of a number of those affected and many did not have access to any alternative. Of those that did concerns were raised, due to past experiences, that private providers would not offer the same quality of service or would guarantee continuity of care due to their employment of workers on a low paid, casual basis. Cuts to access particularly stood to negatively impact on migrants and others who lack extended social networks as well as those who work 9am to 5pm or longer. A group of affected clients launched a campaign to reverse these cuts. Speaking at council meetings they outlined how these changes would hurt them and their families and spoke of negative experiences with private providers such as a worker refusing to work with a severely disabled child on the basis that it was “too difficult”. They also explained how many of them had fallen through gaps in the existing system or would either not be eligible for support via the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) for years if at all. Councillors and management were peppered with emails and letters, meetings held with the mayor and council officers, and a petition circulated. On Wednesday July 13 Moreland council voted unanimously to rescind the cuts and reinstate access to services on the basis of need. Passing a motion put by the only councillor to originally vote against the cuts, Sue Bolton, with amendments from another, it resolved to immediately cancel individual interviews parents had alleged were being used to push them off the service or into hours that did not address their needs. Other sections authorised an independent internal review and for letters to be spent to all affected clients. Councillors were contrite with a number apologising for the fact they had originally voted in favour of the cuts. Unfortunately such cuts and the outsourcing of services is being carried out in many councils across Victoria as councils struggle to respond to the withdrawal of state and Federal government funding that will be rolled out by mid-2019. Issues are also being raised regarding the NDIS in terms of gaps in its coverage, how it will be regulated, and the possibility of well marketed, but low quality services undermining existing, quality services As has occurred with the introduction of contestability into the TAFE sector the possibility of a “race to the bottom” and an influx of dubious providers looms. In the meantime Moreland residents have pledged to monitor the situation to ensure that quality of care and meeting the needs of some of the area’s most vulnerable people remain at the core of any future responses by their council.