Tony Smith (Casey, Liberal Party, Deputy Chairman , Coalition Policy Development Committee) Share this | Hansard source

On Tuesday morning, 11 June, I was pleased to visit Monkami in Croydon in the electorate of Casey. Monkami is an adult disability service provider that was established back in 1958, originally as a special school. The organisation has grown and developed to cater for a variety of needs of people with a disability. Their day service is located in Croydon, providing a variety of programs focusing on community inclusion. About 140 adults attend these programs, and Monkami also provides supported accommodation services for nearly 30 adults, with properties located throughout the local area. Monkami is very well known throughout our local community and is held in very high regard.

I had the pleasure of visiting with our shadow minister for disability, Senator Mitch Fifield, to have a briefing and see the great work being done and also to help reopen their nursery, which will provide wonderful services to the public in Croydon. I want to pay tribute to the CEO, Jill Christie, and the hardworking management committee.

Later in the morning, the shadow minister and I travelled out to Mount Evelyn to Eastern Outsource, which is an Australian disability enterprise. Monkami is the parent company of that enterprise. It enables 25 supported employees to engage with the community as part of their daily attendance and conducts a range of services for the community. We got to see the variety of work firsthand there in Mount Evelyn.

Some of the work they do includes secure document-shredding for businesses, two garden and maintenance crews, production and preparation of kindling and the preparation of industrial rags for sale. Many of the employees have been part of the Monkami family for 20 years and have made lifelong friendships and are active members of the community. I want to pay tribute to the manager, Max Heuston, and to all of the staff and all of those who make Monkami and Eastern Outsource the great successes that they are.

See this speech in context