NDIS Provider Spotlight: Wallara Australia
Local, professional disability support
It’s time for another edition of Plan Partners provider profile where we highlight the wonderful work that local NDIS service providers are doing around the country, and around the corner.
Today, we’re highlighting the wonderful team at Wallara Australia, and sat down with Senior Manager of Client Experience Janine Burns for a chat.
Hi Janine, tell us a bit about yourself and your team.
I have worked at Wallara for 18 years and I lead our Intake, NDIS, and Support Coordination teams.
My team is made up of passionate, skilled professionals who genuinely care about creating opportunities for adults with disability to thrive.
We work closely with families, Support Coordinators, and community partners to ensure every person feels welcomed, understood, and supported from the moment they connect with us, and the onboarding process.
What sort of services do you offer?
Wallara provides a broad range of disability supports for adults 18+, including:
- Lifestyle & Learning (Day Service) with 7 sites across the Southeast regions of Melbourne. These programs focus on independence, life skills, community access, work pathways and wellbeing
- Supported Employment across hospitality, horticulture, logistics, media, and retail.
- Social Enterprises such as Sages Cottage Farm & Café, Collingwood Children’s Farm, and Wallara Logistics in Keysborough & Reservoir.
- Supported Independent Living (SIL) and Short Term Accommodation (STA) supports - 8 SIL homes & 1 STA.
- Pathways to open employment, skill‑building, and community inclusion into Open Employment.
Why do people come to you for help?
Wallara have been operating for over 67 years. Families value our warm, person‑centred approach, our strong communication, and the way we tailor supports to each individual’s goals.
Many also come to us because of our social enterprises, which provide genuine work experience in inclusive, supportive environments.
What's the goal or overall aspiration you have for your customers?
For all of the Wallara clients to live with confidence, purpose, and independence.
Whether someone wants to build daily living skills, gain employment, connect socially, or explore new interests, we aim to create pathways that feel achievable, meaningful, and aligned with their strengths. We want every person to feel valued, respected, and part of a community.
How important is a tailored approach in your work?
No two clients are the same, and neither are their goals, communication styles, or support needs.
We take the time to understand each person, their preferences, and aspirations so we can provide supports that genuinely fit.
What’s something that people should know about your services that most people don’t know?
Many people don’t realise the scale and diversity of our supported employment and social enterprise opportunities. From working in a café on a 38‑acre farm to learning media production or gaining logistics experience in a commercial warehouse, our participants can explore on the job skill development daily.
We also invest heavily in innovation and community partnerships, which means we’re constantly creating new pathways and experiences.
What advice would you have for someone wanting more information?
Reach out and have a conversation with our Intake team - they’re warm, knowledgeable, and happy to guide you through options based on your goals. A site tour is often the best way to get a feel for what we offer and see our programs in action.
Please contact us at intake@wallara.com.au or call 9792 2985 and ask for the Intake team.