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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 12 Hansard (19 November) . . Page.. 3717 ..

MS REILLY (continuing):

Even though there has been some increase in funding, this has meant a restriction on the number of services that are around. It is also interesting to note that we actually have no idea of the size of the requirement for these services and what need there is in the community, because at no stage has there been any needs analysis done of community services within the ACT. It is vitally important to understand the full extent of the requirements for community care within the ACT.

Another part of the services provided under the general auspices of community care is employment services funded by the Commonwealth. An important part - - -

Mrs Carnell: Is that going to be my fault too?

MS REILLY: Mrs Carnell, I am not going to talk about employment. An important part of accessing employment is being able to get to the place of employment. Without discussing bus services and when they run or do not run - and that is an issue for quite a number of people with disabilities in the ACT - a number of people with disabilities, although they may be able to get work, are not able to use the bus services or are not able to drive themselves to these places of work.

Mrs Carnell: That is why all our new buses will have disability access, will they not?

MS REILLY: Unfortunately, if you are working at a time when a bus does not run, it does not matter how much disability access you have. If you finish work after 12 o'clock at night you cannot get a bus. People need to use taxis to access work in a number of instances, but the taxi subsidy scheme is so restricted that it is very difficult for people to use this service. Also, the cost of using it is so high that, for a number of people, most of their salary is going into paying for taxis to get to and from their place of employment. This is particularly true for people who are working part time. If we talk about people fully participating in the community, employment is a vital part of those people's lives and needs. It is something that we should be encouraging as much as we possibly can, without putting restrictions on the services. Another important aspect of accessing employment is ensuring that there is sufficient available. We should look more at the connection between schooling, which is a state responsibility, and accessing employment. What happens to people with a disability after they leave school? This is something that needs great consideration.

The other part of it that we need to consider is community consultation. It is good to see a number of reports and reviews coming out because there have been crises in various parts of the services. It would be good if we felt that there was some proactive work going on; that there was not just a response to a crisis. I am quite sure a number of people in the community, particularly those that need the services, would like to feel that there was true consultation going on. I ask for an extension of time.

MR SPEAKER: You still have at least a minute. Continue.

MS REILLY: I am sorry, Mr Speaker. I was responding to the gestures from across the way.

MR SPEAKER: Well, do not.

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