Councillors voted 4-3 against giving $22,900 over three years to Upper Murray Family Care for its Strengthening Carers program.

Part of the initiative would be helping participants understand the NDIS.

But councillors Kat Bennett, Libby Hall, Ron Mildren and Tim Quilty argued the onus should not be on the city to bankroll such work.

“I’m afraid that if we fund this it actually gives the federal government a ‘get out of jail free’ card and they might even be less likely to fund it because we are,” Cr Bennett said.

“I don’t think that we should be funding organisations that could be getting funding from state and federal (governments), I’m concerned that would set a precedent that we just can’t sustain.”

Cr Mildren said: “We’ve had our prime minister say to us that the NDIS is 100 per cent funded, well if it’s 100 per cent funded then we should be going to the federal government and saying ‘fill this gap and fill this gap now’.”

Mayor Anna Speedie and Danny Lowe and John Watson backed the funding bid.

“While I don’t want to fix something for the state or federal government I can’t leave my community hanging, that’s not okay by me,” Cr Speedie said.

UMFC chief executive Luke Rumbold was sympathetic in replying to the snub.

“I understand the philosophy expressed by the majority of the council but the carers are not the main focus of the NDIS,” Mr Rumbold said.

“The NDIS is premised on the person with a disability getting support.

“I understand the logic of what was being expressed but the reality is there are large gaps.”

UMFC will seek other funding for the program that had been due to start next month and provide mutual support for up to 20 carers.

Mr Rumbold said Albury’s SS&A Club is giving $90,000 over three years to help children with disabilities.