Council has continued to lobby the Federal Government against the proposed changes and is still waiting for a date to be set for a presentation from the State Government and/or the Municipal Association of Victoria, to further detail the implications of the proposed changes.

Council is particularly concerned about the impact the reforms would have on services such as Meals on Wheels, personal care and other vital services that are provided across the shire.

Shire chief executive officer, Justine Linley, said no word had been received as yet in relation to the presentation, but council was now taking a regional approach to ensure its case is heard.

"There is still no further movement in this space, but we are working now more regionally," Mrs Linley said.

"We are having discussions with our neighbouring councils and other not for profit service providers in the region such as Wimmera Uniting Care and Grampians Community Health, to see if there are ways that we can at least retain the funding levels we currently have and improve the services available.

"It is still a major concern and when we are clearly dealing with the health and well being of people in real need, it has to be a priority focus."

Community Development Director, Greg Little, said the proposed changes to the funding arrangements and delivery of services for people with a disability and people who are aged under a revised Commonwealth and State Government agreement, would have significant implications for local government in the way Home and Community Care (HACC) Services are delivered over the next three years.

Council has identified a number of key areas affecting the shire's HACC services to the community as a part of the transition phase. These include:

The centralisation of assessment towards a phone based or internet consultation.

Unit pricing/block funding.

Rural Accountability (transition trials are being held in urban settings).

Council is concerned that the Northern Grampians Shire had already previous lost the Department of Veteran Affairs assessment contract to a centralised service model manned by phone in Adelaide. This greatly impacts on the efficacy of DVA assessments in the entire Northern Grampians region.

Mr Little said the impact would be felt across all areas within the HACC program, given that for the 2014-2015 financial year, the Northern Grampians Shire Council HACC program has committed to the State and Commonwealth HACC program to provide 19,500 meals (on wheels), 9304 hours of domestic assistance, 3390 hours of personal care, 338 hours of property maintenance, 711 hours of respite and 1280 hours of individualised assessment.

Funding to cover these services is derived from $672,000 funding and service agreement with the State HACC program, $315,000 in private works fees and charges, client fees, Dept. of Veterans Affairs and council's forecast contribution of $150,251.

Council has vowed to continue to fight against the proposed changes, which would see the Commonwealth take responsibility for Home and Community Care services for people aged over 65 from July 1, 2015. People under the age of 65 will remain with the State Government.

Funding for people with a disability will be auspiced by the state and through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

"Both governments have agreed to work together to retain the benefits of the Victorian HACC system," Mr Little said.

"It has also been agreed that Victorian local government HACC services will not be subject to a competitive tendering process for the provision of HACC services during the transition phase over the next three years.

"This decision recognises that local government plays a significant role in service planning and funding for the HACC target group."

Mr Little said HACC would be absorbed into a new national Home Support Program and together with packages and residential aged care, be managed by the Commonwealth as one aged care system with a centralised web and phone based information gateway (My Aged Care) and a standardised assessment process at point of entry.

"There has been a move to consumer directed care, where clients/consumers will have a choice for the providers they use to deliver the services they need," he said.

"The most significant change for Victoria is in the way the Commonwealth manages the program, with contestable processes proposed for service provider selection and service system resourcing.

The MAV is challenging this in the Statement of Intent proposal for Victoria and proposing ongoing block funding instead."