Completed Projects
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Disability Royal Commission
In 2020, Moderator Rev Denise Liersch shared a pastoral letter about how the Uniting Church would respond to the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability.
The Assembly created a national Task Group, and each Synod was asked to coordinate its own response. In Victoria and Tasmania, the Synod Task Group included people from congregations, Uniting VicTas, school liaison and Synod staff.
The national group developed a framework to help the Church become more inclusive of people with disability. It focuses on three key principles:
- including everyone in decision-making
- having safe and clear complaints processes
- supporting people to make their own choices.
The framework was approved before the 17th Assembly meeting in July 2024 and will now be implemented by each Synod. In Victoria and Tasmania, the Task Group also developed resources, contributed to national issues papers, and began work on a Compliments, Concerns and Complaints (3Cs) framework for congregations, which is expected to be completed in 2026 in partnership with the Culture and Safety Unit and equipping Leadership for Mission (eLM).
Read the Final Report Synod of Victoria and Tasmania DRC Task Group (PDF)
Mental Health Forum
In June 2021, Rev (Deacon) Dr Andy Calder from the Synod’s equipping Leadership for Mission (eLM) team hosted a forum called “Mental Health: Does religion or spirituality help or hinder?”.
The keynote speaker was Prof John Swinton from the University of Aberdeen, who is a Professor of Practical Theology and Pastoral Care. Watch the keynote presentation online.
Road trauma memorial
Solace is Victoria’s first state‑wide memorial for people affected by road trauma. It is a place to remember those who have died on Victoria’s roads and to reflect on the impact of road trauma.
The memorial is in Geelong, on the north‑facing waterfront at Hearne Parade, Eastern Beach. It looks out over Corio Bay. Solace was created in partnership with the Uniting Church Synod of Victoria and Tasmania, Amber Community, and the City of Greater Geelong.
Time for Remembering is an annual road‑trauma memorial event supported by the Uniting Church since 2001. You can read more on the Time for Remembering event page.
The artwork
This video explains how the Solace memorial was created as a public artwork inspired by the phases of the moon. Watch Solace memorial artwork video
University Of Sydney research project
“NDIS: Rhetoric versus Reality?” looks at what life is really like for people with intellectual disability in Australia. It explores how the National Disability Insurance Scheme has changed individual funding and support.
The study was led by the University of Sydney’s Centre for Disability Studies, with the Synod as a partner. People with intellectual disability worked as co‑researchers.
The project examined whether people are getting the support they need and how much they are involved in decisions about their own lives.