There were smiles all around Tulgeen Disability Service's office in Bega on Friday morning.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
"I have to give you a hug Andrew sorry," its CEO Jen Russell said to Member for Bega Andrew Constance after he announced $4.6million for Tulgeen to provide supported accommodation for people with disabilities across the Bega Valley.
When Mr Constance made the announcement, he said in a way it gave him more joy than announcing a project in Sydney because it allowed him to see a real difference being made.
"Tulgeen have strived to ensure people living with disabilities across the Bega Valley and beyond are treated with dignity and respect, but also have opportunity," he said.
"This project will reduce social isolation and provide safe and secure housing that will foster opportunity for residents.
"With 24/7 support, the supported living accommodation will be the first of its kind in the Bega Valley on this scale, and I am so very excited to see this come to fruition."
Mr Constance said the money, which would come from the regional infrastructure fund, would enable Tulgeen to grow by employing extra 40 staff working in the town.
The 40 "permanent jobs" would benefit the region as it was in a drought, he said.
"Whilst Tulgeen will grow its workforce, we will also have local tradies that will be employed to undertake the works, further injecting dollars into our local economy and supporting local businesses," he said.
Ms Russell said Tulgeen had eight trainees which helped to keep people in the Bega Valley, and the funding would also contribute to this aim by allowing them to employ more people.
Acting chair of Tulgeen Peter Hughes was extremely happy with the announcement, saying it was great for the sustainability of the organisation.
"This is the most wonderful news Tulgeen has heard in a long, long time," he said.
"We work in a sector that is highly difficult now, and it is difficult to keep yourself afloat."
Ms Russell said she was "extremely grateful" to the government for the funding.
In June, Bega Cheese presented Tulgeen with $200,000 from an annual fundraising event to go towards increasing supported accommodation services to people with disability.