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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 5 Hansard (14 May) . . Page.. 1399 ..

MRS CARNELL (continuing):

This reform includes the first steps in the development of a framework for quality assurance mechanisms and the implementation of the ACT Community Care disability program strategic directions plan. We want people with disabilities to enjoy the same rights and quality of life as are enjoyed by other people in the ACT community. We are therefore committed to working with people with disabilities, their families and advocates, service providers and other jurisdictions to ensure ongoing improvements in disability service provision.

The Government strongly endorses the report's emphasis on the importance of commitment by the Commonwealth in the area of support for people with disabilities. The Commonwealth-State Disability Agreement, known as the CSDA, outlines a national framework for funding arrangements and operations of disability services. This agreement is due to expire on 30 June this year, and negotiations for new arrangements have been under way for some time. A recent national review of the CSDA conducted by Professor Anna Yeatman identified many of the same issues as the Social Policy Committee. These relate to gaps in service provision such as the interface between employment and daytime support, the exclusion of some groups from CSDA arrangements, unmet need, and inequitable access to services. These and other issues will be considered in renegotiation of the CSDA. The outcomes of renegotiations are very important for the Territory, and particularly for citizens with disabilities and their carers.

I am concerned to gain, and very definite that we need to gain, the Commonwealth's commitment to services for people with disabilities in the future, and I am aware that this may be very difficult to achieve in the current environment, particularly growth funding in this area. I was very pleased to see in the Commonwealth budget last night that 500 new places will be made available in Australia for people with disabilities. Along with my colleagues in other States, I was disappointed with the 5 per cent efficiency dividend cut in this year's budget. Looking at the figures that were presented last night, it appears that the extra places may at least in some way counterbalance the 5 per cent efficiency dividend. States and Territories have indicated that we are unable to make any further efficiencies, and any cut would mean a reduction in service provision. This has serious implications in this area, which already has significant unmet need.

The ACT Government has acknowledged this need through an increasing proportional contribution to funding of disability services over the life of the CSDA. Since 1993-94, the ACT's total contribution to CSDA funding has risen from $11.61m to $16.21m - an increase of almost 40 per cent - compared with the Commonwealth's 19 per cent increase from $6.8m to $8m. The ACT has provided over 80 per cent of the growth funds in this area over this period. At a meeting in Melbourne on 17 April 1997 the Commonwealth was not prepared to negotiate on the proposed 5 per cent efficiency dividend cut, to be phased in over three years. Again, I was pleased to see some 500 extra disability places in the budget last night. We will still, though, need to negotiate very hard on the new CSDA.

We believe strongly that in the area of disability funding there does need to be growth funding. There is a significant unmet need out there and, as I have said in the past, if we cannot reach an appropriate agreement on the new CSDA, we will be speaking to the Commonwealth about their taking over some of the services we currently run.

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