A TWO-year effort to co-locate Orange’s Centrelink and Medicare services will be resolved next week when Medicare moves out of Orange City Centre.
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From Monday, Medicare will open at Centrelink’s premises across the road at 189-191 Anson Street.
Member for Calare John Cobb was happy to see the result after a mooted co-location at Centrelink’s former Summer Street premises, on the eastern side of the railway line, was fiercely opposed and postponed in 2012.
“That intersection is busier than most of the ones in Sydney,” Mr Cobb said.
“It was unfriendly for women with young children and people in wheelchairs. It was not in a good place.
“Centrelink moved to where it is now and everything’s catching up.”
Minister for Human Services Marise Payne said customers would benefit from greater convenience.
“The increase in claiming from doctors’ surgeries, along with the high uptake of the department’s Express Plus mobile apps, means people no longer need to visit a service centre for simple tasks such as claiming a rebate,” she said.
While the federal government will save on overheads after the move, Mr Coobb says Medicare and Centrelink will both function as normal and no jobs will be lost.
“It makes sense for the people who have to use both,” he said.
Separate waiting areas will be maintained to ensure efficient processing.
Department of Veterans Affairs services will also move with Medicare to the new location.
danielle.cetinski@fairfaxmedia.com.au