Not only are we looking at extra travel time and the associated costs, but the difficulties attracting skilled workers and funding cuts add to these issues. It is a changing health sector with increasingly thin markets in the area and added complexity accessing services that are essential to so many in our community.

For people with disabilities, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provides support to not only those with a disability, but also their family and carers. The NDIS also has a broader role in helping people with disabilities access mainstream health and community services.

However, this support does not come without its own set of challenges, particularly those affecting rural areas.

One major problem in the Wimmera is the lack of access to transport. Participants only get a certain amount in their packages allocated to transport but because of the distance from town to town this allocation gets used quite quickly. There are public transport services, however these are very limited and often don't coincide with appointment times, putting up a real barrier to accessing health services.

Clients can have their NDIS plans reviewed, however there are significant wait times associated and many other layers of complexity.

Home Care Packages are also under duress in the Wimmera, particularly with lack of funding and staff shortages, meaning clients are essentially being referred to a long waitlist. "Non-traditional" service providers are listing that they are available in rural areas but when it comes to people being referred into those services, they are told that they don't know where "that is" and we don't go "that far" which leaves people high and dry and unsure of where to turn.

Mental health services are sparse across the region, with Lister House Medical Clinic Horsham practice manager Rob Phillips last week calling for more mental health services in Horsham, stating that the clinic only has one mental health clinician, however offers psychiatric services via telehealth and have a visiting psychiatrist once a fortnight. Opposition mental health spokesperson and member for Lowan, Emma Kealy, has previously said the Andrews Labor government is using the royal commission "as a shield" to avoid making changes the sector needed now.

People under 65, or 50 years of age for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, can contact their local shire for information accessing home care services. People over 65 and 50 respectively need to register with My Aged Care for services. People with a disability need to register with the NDIS. Call the Rural Outreach Team on 1300 OUTREACH if you need to talk to somebody.