Photo: dhs.vic.gov.au

The Labor Government will work in partnership with Carers Victoria to develop a Carers Statement which will outline how we best support Carers interactions with government.

Carers Victoria will consult with carers, existing support groups and organisations on the statement, which will be unveiled next year.

Unpaid carers support people with different care needs including people with chronic disease, mental illness, people with a disability, older people with care needs and those receiving end-of-life or palliative care.

There are more than 773,000 carers in Victoria, with more than 217,000 identifying as the primary carer for another person.

Carers make a substantial contribution to our community, with the OECD putting the cost of replacing carers in Victoria at more than $15 billion annually.

The Government is also supporting carers prepare for the National Disability Insurance Scheme by funding Carers Victoria to create and manage a new online hub called Everything Carers.

Everything Carers is a new online portal that allows carers to connect, share information on topics important to them and promote peer support groups in their community.

It’s funded through the Labor Government’s $10 million package, which is funding 16 organisations to support Victorians with disabilities, their families, service providers and staff transition to the NDIS.

For more information about Carers Week or support in your area visit www.everythingcarers.org.au.