Bringing OCAV to Parliament

The last month has seen OCAV meet with politicians and Commissioners to talk about our work, our operating model and our drive to create new villages in Victoria.

These meetings follow on from the successful launch of Living Communities Age Well at Parliament House in June when the Hon Martin Foley, Minister for Housing, Disability and Ageing, spoke about the importance of organisations like OCAV.

We have met with Emma Kealy, Shadow Minister for Senior Victorians; Luke Donnellan, Minister for Transport and local member for Narre Warren North; Jason Wood, Federal MP for La Trobe and Samantha Ratnam, leader of the Greens in Melbourne to brief them about our dementia friendly work, intergenerational projects, and our need for additional villages.

Residents from Braeside Park joined OCAV President Kevin Neville and CEO Phillip Wohlers at the meeting with Jason Wood to tell him how their lives had been transformed since arriving at the village.

Mary Tasker, head of Braeside Park’s residents’ committee said that OCAV brought peace of mind to residents and their families alike.

“There’s no other model like it in Victoria; it’s a model which should be supported over and over again,” she said.

OCAV has also met with Colleen Pearce, Victoria’s Public Advocate who works to promote and protect the rights of people with disability. Ms Pearce is a champion of OCAV, and commended us on our dementia friendly villages initiative.

“The value that OCAV brings to Victoria and Australia is unquestionable in terms of savings on public housing and aged care,” CEO Phillip Wohlers said.

Caption: Jason Wood, Phillip Wohlers, Mary Tasker and Kevin Neville meet at Braeside Park.