• 1 •

PRESIDENT & CEO REPORT

It is with great pleasure that we present this report for the 2013/ 2014 to you, which to state the obvious; it has

been a year of progress and many achievements. We believe the work over the past year has seen continued

development and positive change in direction, positioning SRS for the National Disability Insurance Scheme

(NDIS) future.

There has been a significant time and energy invested in reviewing the systems we rely on and the organisational

functions we perform thus ensuring that we remain a proactive service which has a dynamic team in all areas of

our business focused on bringing new ideas to fruition.

With service development on the agenda, this also brings new challenges and opportunities and we can definitely

say that Benetook Chooks hasn’t failed to deliver on either point. Developing a hobby farm with layer chooks has

extended the possibilities beyond historical programs and accommodation to a whole new level. It has also

extended us as a team to step beyond our expertise of building accommodation for people with disabilities to

developing meaningful programs with chooks and eggs. There have been many days we have looked to each

other for guidance to tackle the next puzzle and tackle the steep learning curve - undoubtedly one of the most

interesting years SRS has experienced.

While the key focus has been on developing the Benetook Chooks the hobby farm, our commitment towards

providing suitable accommodation options continues to be the key focus of SRS now and into the future. It is

reported that “The number of Victorians with a disability waiting to access vital supports has increased by 443,

with the Disability Support Register (DSR) rising from 3949 in June 2013 to 4392 in June 14, according to the

recently released 2013-14 Annual Report of the Department of Human Services.

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This represents an increase of just over 11% in the last financial year, and is consistent with annual growth in the

DSR of about 10% in each of the two previous financial years.

Over the past four years, the DSR has grown from:

2011 2012 2013 2014

3275 3600 3949 4392

This most recent DSR figure of 4392 does not include the Barwon NDIS region, where approximately 200 people

who were on the DSR are now receiving supports via the NDIS. (NDS News Update; extract: 2013-14 Annual Report

of the Department of Human Services)

We thank DHS Mildura for assisting SRS during the year. The introduction of a Mallee division has provided only

positive outcomes for Sunraysia. Having a team in Mildura is a terrific welcomed change. We acknowledge that

for the DHS staff this has at times been challenging and overwhelming with ongoing changes during this the

transition year and look forward to the next financial year with anticipation.

SRS has seen an increase in services from ADHC NSW. Over the years SRS has remained committed and

connected to families over the river. It has been pleasing to see in this financial year that the rural and remote

families are achieving better services and support. Thank you to all the staff, with special thanks to Kim

McGrath and Peter Lupton.

We would like to also thank the Ouyen based rural and remote service led by John Steel for excellence in service

provision to the rural and remote communities. John has continued to be creative, providing innovative solutions

that have made a great difference to the people who reside in these rural communities.

We once again sincerely thank Davison Motor Group for their ongoing commitment and generosity providing SRS

vehicles at no cost to help make this all happen.

The SRS Management Team is a unique multi skilled team. Maintaining a flat management structure comes with

challenges which we are pleased to report this year has been very successful and productive in terms of

outcomes for our customers and professional achievements.

We thank you all: Managers, Coordinators, Administrators and Active Support Assistants for your professionalism

and dedication.

Marian Luehman Don Seward

CEO President

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SRS Board of Management

Great things are only possible when great people work as one and we are extremely fortunate at SRS that our

volunteer Board of Management are all committed to the best outcomes for the families and the people we

support. Having a consistent, dynamic board is the key to the progress we continue to make strategically and

prudently.

During the year Frances, Dan and Don have all remained committed to SRS while enduring their personal

debilitating challenges with resilience and composure.

In remembrance of two amazing inaugural board members

During the year Mrs Loris Thornton and Mr Brian Gambetta passed away. Both were instrumental in the

formation of what SRS is today and both inaugural members holding office for over 27 years as the Vice President

and President respectfully and being awarded life memberships in 2001.

Regrettably, due to health reasons both submitted their resignation at the 2004 AGM and in commemoration we

quote the following extracts from the 2004 AGM report.

Loris in true form sent a gift card with the following words which was read at out at the AGM 2004:

Thank you all and keep up the good work. Sorry but I am not well enough to keep going.

Loris Thornton

Vice President

Brian Gambetta’s 2004 report was also worthy of significant note:

I have pleasure in presenting the Presidents report for the service for 2004.

With Marian’s appointment as Chief Executive Officer the service has moved forward to a new level of

governance. The COM has become the board and several of us have attended training in the rules of

governance that control the powers and responsibilities of such a constituted board. One of the most important

changes is that we are now outsourcing our office and accounting procedures and we expect that this will

result in economies, but more important give us an opportunity for a top level management.

Regrettably Sunshine has passed its use by date and in spite of the sentimental attachment, we old timers hold

for where it all started, maintenance costs and the need to meet rising standards dictate its replacement.

Accordingly we have purchased an excellent piece of land close to the Centre Plaza and to the most frequent

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bus routes and in the near future a new facility to take over the function of Sunshine will be built. This will be

the most exciting project in our near future. Although our finances are in a sound position we will have to

again be in fundraising mode to achieve this. I don’t know if the name Sunshine House will survive. Probably

not in view of its function and the new ethos, but that will not be without a tinge of regret from many of us.

With such a large staff, we could not be without a few glitches but by and large I want to pay tribute to the

dedication, hard work and efficiency of the people we rely on to deliver the services; to let them know the

board appreciates them and how much it depends on them.

This will be my last report as President. It is 27 years since Tony Waller asked me to take the job (assuring me

there was nothing to it) and that is probably far too long to maintain the enthusiasm and dynamics of an

organization. We have people on the board of great dedication and ability, whose take over can only be for the

better. Thanks to everyone over the years for your support and hard work, your friendship and tolerance and I

leave the position with confidence the best is yet to come.

With regrets and pride,

Brian Gambetta

In remembrance of our clients, Noella and Natalie

July of 2013 also saw the passing of two of our most beloved and long-standing clients, Noella Hemming and

Natalie Hamilton. Noella and Natalie both had been part of the SRS stable of support for many years each,

bringing with them their own shares of cherished memories for everyone who knew them. While we are sad that

Noella and Natalie are gone, we are moreover elated to have had the chance to know them and experience the

joys of being able to share in their lives.

Thank you to the families and people we support

We thank you all for using our services and trusting in SRS quality support and care while enjoying our programs.

The constructive feedback, completion of evaluations and phone calls help significantly to improve our services.

Our fees and charges have not increased over the past five years with slight reductions in shared accommodation.

We hope that with your support we can continue to maintain quality service provision while keeping our

overheads at a minimum.

• 5 •

PROGRAM ACTIVITIES

Brittany’s 21st Birthday

On Saturday 1st February Brittany celebrated her

21st Birthday with family and friends at the 12th

Street Football and Umpires rooms. Brittany looked

absolutely stunning in her red 21st dress and crown!

Congratulations Lyn and Mark Edgecumbe on the

fantastic afternoon that you arranged for Brittany -

the food, music and cake were a big hit.

Christmas Greetings

Santa and helpers made a grand entrance to client

homes again this year spreading Christmas Cheer to

all. The excitement was infectious with the sound of

Christmas Carols in the background sung by SRS

staff made for a happy time for all. SRS staff are

back practicing for Christmas 2014 the clients did

say there is room for improvement.

Australia Day Celebration

“G’day, mate!” - BOB, TICA and ILSS clients enjoyed

a sunny Australia Day Breakfast at the Irymple ovals.

They enjoyed the band music and other ceremonies

especially the very Australian BBQ snags in

bread.

Respite School Holiday Program

The SRS School Holiday Program has been a great

success, booked to full capacity each term break.

The clients have enjoyed the new Benetook Chooks

facility where they have enjoyed camp fire cooking,

building shelter, collecting eggs, feeding the chooks,

egg dying, mosaic egg pictures and healthy

sandwich making. The fun jungle is always a hit, the

big orange fun, Park for Play an opportunity to get

rid of some energy and the cinema is a favourite.

The clients had the opportunity to get locked up (for

only minor misdemeanours) at the Old Wentworth

Gaol. Clients enjoy the Perry Sand hills and a great

BBQ lunch, and fortunately no one was lost in the

maze at Woodsies.

Frail Aged and Dementia Programs

The frail aged dementia program is an enjoyable

event for 6 ladies every Monday in addition to the

support they are given in the home. This is an

opportunity for the ladies to be included in the

community and they all enjoy sharing their

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knowledge and memories with all. The ladies have

been very creative participating in embroidery,

participating in and learning the technique of

mosaicking to create beautiful crafts and

scrapbooking. The ladies are working on developing

a Benetook Chooks recipe

book. A special thank you

goes out to Golden City

Support Services for making

the funding available to

SRS.

Michael starts his

Cert II

SRS client Michael Pedersen

commenced a Certificate II

in Landscaping in 2013

through SRS. In this time,

he’s received eight hundred dollars to purchase the

tools and equipment needed to complete his

traineeship. Between escapades of shopping with

his mentor Scott Collier to stock up the tool box,

Mick’s been working at Eileen Street, redeveloping

the gardens under the watchful eye of his trainer

and assessor, Gerb Walding from Murray Mallee

Training.

Tasha’s work

placement at the

Consulting Suite

Tasha Whitton, a BOB

resident, is currently

undertaking a Certificate I in

Work Education, building her

skill set via woodwork, nails

and beauty work, plus cutting

her teeth with hands-on work

at Benetook Chooks two days

a week. In addition, she’s also

accomplished some great work at the SRS

Consulting Suite, working with all of the staff at

various points to try her hand at office duties such

as scanning, use of the phones, collating workpapers

and learning computer skills.

Fantastic feedback from Respite holiday

families!

“The staff were fab, I would sing their

praises everywhere.”

“The kids come home worn out and

slept very well.”

“A good variety of activities, it was

great that lunch was provided.”

“SRS have provided my children

activities that they haven’t been able

to participate in before.”

• 7 •

SRS Recipe Book

What do we find hidden in our old-fashioned

recipes? We find life as lived in another time,

often one more connected to the most basic

elements of food like produced at Benetook

Chooks.

BENETOOK CHOOKS

The year has seen an unruly block with a dilapidated house transformed into a cottage home with sheds and

fencing, but all the improvements were overshadowed with the arrival of 49 Chooks - on 20 May, the first

essential part of Benetook chooks business commenced. The excitement was shared by all who attended the

inaugural arrival of the chooks.

The changes continue monthly and we thank Andre Van Roekel for project managing the transformation. The

committed team coordinated by Jill Martin have collectively inspired the participants to become involved in the

project. The fence became a team effort with Tom, Scott and Blair all stepping up and completing the

contract. Behind the scenes, the management team at SRS have put in hours adhering

to the rigorous never-ending red tape

to ensure success at Benetook.

Sponsor a Chook gained momentum

during the year surpassing 200. We

thank all the wonderful volunteers,

supporters; the donations, the advice, the equipment and the encouragement from the

community and extend an open invitation to drop in and see the changes or join the volunteer list and become

part of Benetook chooks.

We thank Landcare for their ongoing partnership and expertise and a special thank you to John T Reid Charitable

Trust for seeing the potential and supporting this venture.

• 8 •

[full ]

“Benny the Chook” and Dan Carter thank all the wonderful

people who have kindly donated towards the project.

• 9 •

OUR STAFF

Reflection Day 2014

“History in the making” was the theme of the 2014’s Reflection Day with the NDIS, Benetook Chooks, Quality

auditing and Policy and Procedures completing the agenda. The employees in attendance enjoyed robust

discussions contributing to the strategic direction and planning of SRS.

The day concluded with a statement from Marian Luehman, CEO: “SRS has commenced a chapter in history that

you are all a welcome part of and the part you play is only limited by your imagination and your view on life.”

Our Staff – Our Future

It’s no exaggeration to say that our staff is our most important asset and the linchpin of our ability to provide the

service to our community that we do. 2013-14 saw the SRS family growing once more, welcoming many fresh

faces into the fold!

Nikki Buchecker and Eve Meppem both commenced traineeships in Disability, each taking on a new career

direction with SRS.

Kerry Cobcroft, Tanya Graham, Dean Lascelles and Natalie Lont

now coordinate SRS’ Dementia, Community Respite and Johns

Street programs respectively; we also said goodbye to service

coordinator Mick Joslyn. Mick continues to be an avid SRS

supporter after his retirement, being a prominent figure on the

SRS fundraising committee. Thank you to Lyn Townsend, General

Manager for her diligence and guidance supporting all the staff to

achieve their goals and aspirations with SRS.

• 10 •

Thank you to all our staff for your commitment and loyalty day in and day out, providing quality care and training

to the families and people we support!

2013-14 was also an excellent time for our trainees Jan Adamson, Matt Hicks and Hannah McCullagh, with all

three successfully achieving Certificate IV in Disability, and Lyn Townsend and Kathryn Lang achieving Advanced

Diplomas in Management and Disability. Marian Luehman also achieved a Foundations Directorships Certificate

from the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

72% 61% 50% Female staff at SRS SRS staff over the age of 40 With SRS for 5 years or more

Celebrating Staff Milestones

Sandra Gavin

25 years of service

Marian Luehman

25 years of service

Bron Lang

15 years of service

Colleen Heeps

10 years of service

Hayley Shaw

10 years of service

Alan Chalkley retires after 22 years with SRS

On Wednesday 21 January, Alan announced his retirement, which

SRS accepted with thanks and gratitude. Alan had been with SRS

since 1992 and working in a program linked to SRS since 1988.

Alan has donated $20.00 from every pay, with an estimated

contribution of $11,440.00. He has remained loyal to families that

he has supported during the many years of service and continued

to provide support outside of working hours. We could all learn a

few lessons from Alan, and surely some of us have.

• 11 •

Non-Government Service Providers: a winner with their employees

An exclusive NDS survey and report shows that non-government (NGO) disability service provider employees are

passionate about their jobs and about working in the sector. Common sector and organisational priority areas are

also identified for those organisations seeking to develop 'Employer of Choice' capabilities.

The Engaging the Workforce report found that:

Staff in the disability sector tend to be highly engaged, and are particularly satisfied with their job and

the nature of the work they do.

Staff also tend to feel that their organisation is successful in meeting its objectives and clients' needs.

96% of staff like the work they do - 24% higher than the all-industry average job satisfaction rate.

82% of staff in the disability sector are satisfied with their work-life balance - 9% higher than the all-industry

average job satisfaction rate. (NDS News update 20 Aug 2014: NDS with Voice Project)

• 12 •

FUNDRAISING

2014 has been a bumper year for SRS’ fundraising campaigns, featuring a mix of our

stalwart stable of annual events with numerous surprises.

October 2013: Thai-Riffic Fundraiser

SRS’ Thai-Riffic fundraising dinner is fast becoming a

tradition and 2014 was no exception, garnering an

outstanding turnout, a fantastic result in funds raised,

not to mention lots and lots of delicious Thai cuisine!

The night was a huge successe with over $4,000

raised. We would like to thank all our valued

supporters, staff and fundraising committee for all

their hard work, and a big thank you to John from Thai

Riffic for his time and the beautiful food.

April 2014: Carnevale, Italian Style

The very first Italian-style fundraiser for SRS attracted

140 patrons to Oak Valley Estate Winery on 5 April.

Providing a luncheon underneath the vines with a five-

course banquet provided by Stefano De Pieri, the day

ended with traditional short black coffee and Italian

canolli and custard, all punctuated with the sound of

accordion players that had clients and other guests

alike moving. Thank you all for attending and making

the day special.

April 2014: Lunar Fest Parade

Red Cliffs’ annual Lunar Fest parade played host to a

very special float for SRS, helping to raise awareness

and support for the Benetook Chooks project – the

fruits of which included numerous sponsorships for

Benetook Chooks’ “Sponsor a Chook” campaign, all

made possible by the

generous helping hands

from Jill Martin, Belinda

Jenkins, Graeme

McCarthy and all the SRS

clients who came along.

March 2014:

Bunnings

The mainstay fundraising

event at Bunnings Warehouse on Fifteenth Street was

as successful as ever, raising over one thousand dollars

on the day. Our thanks go out to Bunnings for their

characteristic support and all the clients and staff who

volunteered their time to make the event a fun day

bringing success.

November 2013: Pizza Café

The annual Pizza Café event received an exceptional

amount of guests and supporters, raising a grand total

of over six thousand dollars, all of which made way for

much-needed equipment and materials for the

Benetook Chooks project! Proceeds from the event

were further bolstered by the auction, helped along by

generous bids from Joseph and the Pizza Café team.

Thank you, Sunraysia!

Save the date: Our next Pizza Café event is on November

11! For more details, visit www.srsinc.com.au.

• 13 •

OUR SPONSORS IN 2013-14

In addition to a fantastic year of SRS-run fundraising events, the 2014 financial year also saw significant

contributions made by several organisations via grants and other initiatives, without which many of our initiatives

wouldn’t be possible.

Commonwealth Bank Staff

Community Fund

Phyllis Connor Memorial

Trust

Herbert Allen Bequest

Charitable Trust

Department of Human

Services

John T Reid Charitable

Trusts

Foundation for Rural and

Regional Renewal

Lions Club Mildura

Mildura Rural City Council

Mallee Catchment

Management Authority

Connecting Up

Qualia Wine Services

Thai-Riffic

Bankmecu

Stefano’s Café and Bakery

Pizza Café at the Grand

Mildura Brewery

Banjos Bakery

Mildura Weekly

99.5FM

Sunraysia Daily

PFD Foods

Thomson Linen

Murray River Salt

DVDit

Green Goddess Flowers

Quality Foods Albury

Ange Lamattina

Vegetables

Iron Horse Intermodel

Bendigo Community Bank

Wentworth

Optus Community Grants

Program

Victorian Landcare Grant

Coles Landcare Grant

In 2013-2014, all funds received went towards Benetook Chooks growth and development.

Thank you all for making a real and significant difference towards the development of meaningful activities for

people with disabilities!

• 14 •

2013-14 BALANCE SHEET

Consolidated Profit & Loss Statement For the Year Ended 30 June 2014

2014

$

2013

$

Revenue Received 4,451,620 3,955,904

Reversal of Provision for Settlement - 109,880

Less Operating Expenses 3,852,889 3,388,410

Operating Surplus before Income Tax 598,731 677,374

Total Comprehensive income for the year 598,731 677,374

Consolidated Statement of Financial Position As at 30 June 2014

2014

$

2013

$

Total Assets 7,141,187 6,376,497

Total Liabilities 1,054,865 888,907

Net Assets 6,086,322 5,487,590

EQUITY

Reserves 1,214,047 1,214,046

Accumulated Surplus 4,872,275 4,273,544

Total Equity 6,086,322 5,487,590

(Accompanying notes form part of these financial statements. A full financial version is available to financial

members upon request.)

Sunraysia Residential Services Inc.

877 Fifteenth Street

Mildura, VIC 3500

P: 03 5022 1741

E: srs@srsinc.com.au

www.srsinc.com.au