Half of the packed gallery left following the decision at Tuesday night’s council meeting, with many across the shire concerned about the security of services and the timing of the transition.

It will now be up to the state and federal governments to appoint new providers for disability support utilised by a range of community members and crucial assistance to the elderly, such as for showering and to attend appointments.

Cr Diane Shepheard questioned whether the move represented the community’s position on the issue and what would happen to the 40 staff employed to provide services.

Development and community services director Mark Florence said the council would have been competing against private providers post-2020.

“It would make us vulnerable within that open market,” he said.

“For a council, whether it’s Indigo or any other, we would not be able to provide a service with a ratepayer subsidy as part of that.

“Each of the potential providers have given strong indication all of our staff that wish to be considered for employment will the new provider will be accommodated.”

The council employed a transition officer eight months ago to plan for the services’ future, regardless of whether councillors chose to continue with their funding until 2020 or discontinue earlier.

Mr Florence said the decision, brought about by changes in funding, was made during the last 2017 council meeting to allow more time for that planning.

“The funding arrangements for those programs is generally the financial year, and the next opportunity for council to make a decision on this would be at the February meeting,” he said.

“It’s Commonwealth and state responsibility to appoint a new provider, and we’ve been advised that process would be close to six weeks.

“If the decision was made in February, and the Commonwealth and state take six weeks, we are then into April which makes a May and June transition … which becomes problematic.

“Bringing this to council now allows a longer transition period.”

Mayor Jenny O’Connor moved to have the item addressed early in the meeting and said it was a decision the council found difficult to make.

“It’s very important that whatever the decision, the service will continue to be provided to people in our shire and our hope and ambition is they will be provided by staff currently doing so,” she said. 

“Recent experience with neighbouring councils that have been through this transition confirms that about 70 per cent of home support and community care staff found new positions with the new service provider.

“Others chose to retire or work elsewhere.

“Indigo Shire will meet all its obligations to eligible staff with respect to entitlements.”

Correction: An earlier version of this report stated there were 50 staff providing home support and community care