Disability Employment Agency to Close, Community Reacts

By Charlie McKillop

By Conor Byrne

ABC Far North

Topic: People With Disability

Thu 23 Jul 2026 at 6:54am

In short:

A disability employment provider is closing due to losses, upsetting local families.

Local charities argue the community funded the facility and want a say in decisions.

What's next?

The facility closes on July 31, but the community is rallying to change its future.

Families of children with disabilities are devastated a supported-employment program will end.

Endeavour Foundation plans to close Mareeba Business Solutions, which finds work for people with special needs.

MBS started as a fruit and vegetable farm before branching into manufacturing.

Employees do tasks like sorting lychees, grading coffee beans, and recycling mattress components.

Endeavour Foundation cited challenges in securing funding and dwindling commercial contracts.

It was unable to sustain losses, which exceeded $200,000 last financial year.

Nathan and Chloe Murray are in supported employment three days a week.

A way of life

Their mother, Jo Thistle, says they love going to work and feel like they're contributing.

They are excluded from many things because they can't keep up or process information slowly.

Nathan Murray's secure employment at the Endeavour Foundation is about to end.

Ms Thistle blames NDIA changes for the closure of the facility.

The amount of paperwork and the system is structured wrongly, she says.

Chloe Murray was devastated when she heard the news.

I had a meltdown after the meeting, she says.

No one expected it, and it was a shock.

Chloe Murray's future career prospects are uncertain.

Endeavour Foundation's Kirrily Boulton is open to discussions with local businesses and government.

We just haven't had the commercial contracts that provide work for our people, she says.

Potentially, we could have been more commercially savvy.

Staff had heartbreaking conversations with participants.

I don't want to give people false hope, but it's not the end of the line, she says.

As a charity, you eventually run out of money, it's a significant problem in regional towns.

NDIA funding agreements are extremely complex and unfavourable for supported employment.

Daniel Crunkhorn has an intellectual impairment and works two days a week on the farm.

Supported employment means he is assisted to ensure he works with minimal risk.

His father, Bruce, says losing the facility would affect his son's self-esteem.

He values going to work, and that's what he wants to do.

Dennis McKinley has vowed to fight the Endeavour Foundation's decision.

Territorial lions

Endeavour Foundation has not confirmed the future of the Mareeba site after it closes.

Mareeba Lions Club, which funded the building, was not consulted and fears it could be sold.

The club has resolved to challenge Endeavour Foundation's decision.

Some history behind past decisions may be lost because people involved have died.

Money gained from any sale should be reinvested locally, Dennis McKinley says.

To allow this to disappear would be remiss of our club and members.

These are the neediest people in our community.

He questions whether Endeavour Foundation tried hard enough to secure local contracts.

The community should fight it to the death, Mr McKinley says.

The closure has upset Mareeba mayor Angela Toppin.

Mayor Angela Toppin said the council is upset but considering future options for participants.

It really does disappoint me, but Endeavour Foundation says the facility is economically unviable.

Labor senator Nita Green said the federal government is seeking to reform the NDIA.

The NDIA is not working to serve all Australians as intended, Senator Green says.

Nita Green has committed to reach out to stakeholders.

An NDIA spokesperson said supported employment creates opportunity and independence.

The NDIA is working with the provider and stakeholders to ensure participants are supported.

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