The AIDS Council of South Australia has closed. Last month the organisation was placed under administration but it has now been declared insolvent.

The South Australian government says the funded programs offered by the organisation will be taken up by other agencies. South Australian Health Minister Jack Snelling has told ABC Radio,

“We’ll be in the process of finding other providers to provide services that the State Government currently funds the AIDS Council to do.”

Mr Snelling defended the governments decision not to provide an additional $175,000 worth of funding that had been requested by the organsiation’s board.

“The administrator came to us and asked us, put to us a proposal whereby we would give them a significant cash injection, but my advice from my department was that, even with that cash injection, that might prop them up to the end of the financial year but after that we would still be in this problem.”

Rob Lake, the Chief Executive of the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (AFAO) was critical of the decision saying,

“Gay men understand gay men’s health best and it should be led by gay men. I’m not disparaging any of the other organisations that are good, strong health providers but that’s the fundamental principle, that’s how we’ve managed to have the impact we’ve had in Australia.”

“The AIDS Council of SA has worked co-operatively with the State Government to regain a sustainable financial footing, only to have the rug pulled from under them,” Mr Lake said in a statement.

OIP Staff, Stock Image