Around a dozen community members met at the Shearers Cook Café in Millicent for an hour on Thursday evening to discuss the shock decision by Bedford to close its local disability employment service.

The closure of the garden maintenance service and commercial laundry will lead to the loss of 17 jobs.

Wattle Range Council development services director Emma Clay was present and it was decided the assistance of Member for MacKillop Nick McBride will also be sought.

Past and present Bedford staff were in attendance at the impromptu meeting along with the parents of workers with disabilities and other community members.

The impact of the Bedford closure on its local workforce was discussed together with employment opportunities for disabled workers which may become available.

The meeting heard from the parent of one disabled worker who had been employed for 31 years by the former Millicent Work Options Centre and its successor Bedford.

Although not listed on the published agenda, the Bedford closure is set to be canvassed when Wattle Range Council holds its monthly meeting in Millicent this afternoon (Tuesday).

In a published personal statement, Mayor Des Noll has expressed his disappointment at the Bedford closure while council chief executive Ben Gower also briefly referred to it at an unrelated public meeting in Millicent on Thursday night.