Week four
To my Melbanians,
I’m really in love with using our word Melbanians. It’s what connects us regardless of where we live. It really is such a good fit for anyone connected to Melba.
First up is a bit of news that has flown under the radar so far. It’s a bit of money-saving for Melbanians – and anybody else who has a multi-purpose Taxi Program card, which normally means that you can travel and pay a half-price fare. From now, when you travel in a taxi with your MPTP card, you pay just 30 per cent of the fare, not 50 per cent.
It’s a Victorian Government idea to help the ‘commercial vehicle industry’ during the pandemic. The extra subsidy should automatically be done, but it’s always worth checking each time you pay a fare, just in case. It started on August 4 and will run until November 3 this year. It also means that taxi drivers will be paid a double ‘lifting fee’ for wheelchairs and other little tweaks, so if you would like more information, check out the Commercial Passenger Vehicles Victoria website. It works up to $60 per trip being paid by the MPTP – but that works out well because Queensland road trips are out anyway at the moment.
Now for a bit more about masks. You may be able to purchase masks through their NDIS plans. Ask your trusty Support Coordinator about how to get it done.
Also please throw out of your disposable masks very carefully, so that local wildlife don’t end up tangled in them. Make sure you snip the elastics on your face mask so that, if in the process of rubbish collection, even if the elastic did get out of the bin somehow, it wouldn’t be of any risk to wildlife because you’d have cut the elastic. This is helpful advice from Wildlife Victoria CEO, Dr Megan Davidson.
On a friendly note, please keep in mind that any compliments and complaints are welcomed by Melba, so please contact your local General Manager of Outcomes:
· GMO Central Highlands & Wimmera, Rachael Jones (rachael.jones@melbasupport.com.au)
· GMO East, Aaron Fry (aaron.fry@melbasupport.com.au)
· GMO Gippsland, Kerrie White (kerrie.white@melbasupport.com.au)
· GMO South, Angela Quero (angela.quero@melbasupport.com.au)
But before I go… here is a piece of coronavirus trivia that you can pull out as an impressive fact at a dinner party. Well, when we get to have dinner parties again. Coronavirus actually gets its name from the Latin word ‘corona’ which means ‘Crown’ because of the spikey ring that you can see when you look at the germ under a microscope.
Remember that you can visit www.melbasupport.com.au, like us on Facebook, and follow Melba on Twitter and Instagram using @melba_support
Thanks, stay safe and try to have fun,
Kate Taylor