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Broken promises and broken hearts: what hurts most with Holt Hub crisis

34 0
30.07.2026

The impending closure of the Hub Disability Day Program in Holt reveals a deeply troubling gap in support for some of Canberra's most vulnerable people.

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Once it shuts down on October 1, families will face insurmountable challenges and ongoing uncertainty.

For participants such as 43-year-old Shani Madelly, who her mother Sally said has a mental age of about 12, the service was excellent and allowed Shani to connect socially.

She was able to participate in crafts, cook meals, enjoy community outings to the zoo and to form real friendships.

The Hub provided an active environment where she is treated as an equal, a sharp contrast to previous experiences at facilities that offered nothing more engaging than colouring books. Sally said the other benefit was that the program provided her with respite from the relentless physical and emotional demands of full-time care.

When an organisation decides to cut a lifeline for disabled individuals, the community expects a detailed explanation.

Instead, those affected have encountered an information vacuum.

Carers ACT, the highly regarded organisation responsible for the Holt facility, posted a short statement on its website blaming the closure on rising operating costs, funding pressures, and sector-wide changes. The group says it can no longer afford to subsidise the service.

This decision based on the financials comes at a human cost to people such as Sally and........

© Canberra Times