Meals on Wheels, Dial a Bus and social support services will leave Council hands from 2027
Mornington Peninsula Shire will stop delivering Commonwealth-funded aged care services next year, ending its direct role in programs used by older residents across the Peninsula.
The decision will shift Meals on Wheels, Dial a Bus, outings and group social support away from Council and into the hands of specialist aged care providers from 1 July 2027.
Council says services will continue as normal until 30 June 2027.
But the move marks a major retreat from local aged care delivery in one of Victoria’s older communities.
An older community faces a major change
The decision carries extra weight on the Mornington Peninsula.
The Shire says the municipality has a median age of 48, which is 11 years above the Australian average.
Profile data shows 27.2 per cent of Mornington Peninsula residents were aged 65 or older in 2021, compared with 15 per cent across Greater Melbourne.
That matters.
Services such as delivered meals, community transport and social outings help older residents stay independent, connected and safe at home.
For some residents, they also provide regular contact with another person.
Council says new rules made the service unworkable
The Shire says national aged care reforms drove the move.
The Commonwealth Home Support Programme, which funds services such as Meals on Wheels, Dial a Bus and group social support, will transition into the Federal Government’s new Support at Home program.
Council says the new system will place greater emphasis on specialist aged care providers and create additional administrative and legal obligations.
Mornington Peninsula Shire Acting Mayor Cr Paul Pingiaro said the new aged care system would be structured, funded and regulated differently.
“After taking a close look at the new system, Council realised it would be unworkable for the Shire to continue to deliver these services,” Cr Pingiaro said.
The Shire says it has formally notified the Australian Government of its intention to withdraw.
Council says it has given a full year’s notice, which is double the required six months.
Meals on Wheels exit after 50 years
The decision also ends Council’s long-running role in Meals on Wheels.
Cr Pingiaro said the Shire had some sadness about exiting Meals on Wheels after 50 years, but said the reforms aimed to give residents more control and access to specialist providers.
That may be the policy argument.
But for local residents, the practical question is more immediate: who will deliver the meals, transport and social support after Council steps away, and what will it cost?
What services will move?
From 1 July 2027, Council will no longer deliver:
- Meals on Wheels, also known as delivered meals
- Dial a Bus, also known as community transport
- Outings and excursions, also known as group social support
Council says current clients do not need to take immediate action.
The Shire says clients will not need a new assessment to keep receiving services after the transition.
It also says existing assessments will transfer to new providers.
Residents and families left in limbo
The biggest unanswered question is cost.
Council says it cannot yet confirm what fees a new provider may charge after the changeover.
That leaves older residents and families in limbo, waiting to learn whether meals, transport and social support will remain affordable.
The Shire says fees will depend on the provider and the services each client receives.
Council says it will provide more information once the Australian Government identifies new providers.
Volunteers and staff face uncertainty
The change also raises questions for Council staff and Meals on Wheels volunteers.
Meals on Wheels volunteers do more than deliver food.
For many older residents, a meal delivery also acts as a wellbeing check and a point of social contact.
Cr Pingiaro acknowledged the role volunteers play in supporting older residents.
Council says it will look for other ways volunteers can contribute to the wellbeing of older people on the Mornington Peninsula.
The Shire says it will speak with older residents and key stakeholders over six to nine months to help shape a new model for supporting older people locally.
What happens next?
Council says services will continue as normal until 30 June 2027, as long as clients remain eligible under the Commonwealth Home Support Programme.
The Shire says it will contact clients directly when new providers become known.
For now, older residents and families are left with the central question: who will deliver these services after Council walks away, what will they cost, and will every vulnerable resident make it through the transition without losing support?
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