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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 11 Hansard (9 December) . . Page.. 3380 ..

MR WOOD (continuing):

and compassionate response. I might say that it was a very proper response. It was certainly caring. I will not name the families, but I do want to indicate the circumstances and at the same time point out that these are not uncommon circumstances. There are many other families in the community facing the same difficulties.

The first family has three children, two of them most severely disabled. They are confined to wheelchairs and they have communication problems. They are now aged 16 and 20. The second family has a Down syndrome child aged 20, who also has significant and recurrent behaviour problems. So far, for the 20 years of the life of these people, their families' lives have been stressful, as they have struggled to work and look after their young people. It has been a very stressful and difficult life. But it was about to become intolerable. What was barely manageable was to become stressful beyond measure.

Why is that? Simply because they are aged 20. They are now, or about to be, past the time when they can attend Koomarri School. That was where, in the first place, they had programs suitable for them and, at the same time, respite was provided for the families each weekday. But all that was just about to stop, just end, on 18 December when school closed.

The families, with their social workers, were searching for options to carry on that good work, and they came to me and to Mr Rugendyke when no options were appearing. Indeed, they had received letters saying, "Well, there is no money at the moment; maybe in the new year with the new program". That was when Mr Rugendyke and I went to Mr Moore, who immediately said, "Yes, I will talk to these people". He heard the case, met the families and acted promptly to see that those services will be provided after 18 December, when something will switch on - it is being worked on now - to see that these young people have their proper place in some or other community access program. It was a necessary decision by Mr Moore and a compassionate one. There is still the question of respite care for one family to be worked out, but I expect that to be done this week. It was a good, caring result.

But let me point out, as if I need to, that the problems persist. These were two cases; but there are many more cases out there. I expect that I will be contacted by others in similar compelling circumstances. These are people who are exiting from Koomarri; but I have seen a table of figures telling me the numbers of people who will leave Koomarri in future years. So there are growing numbers; but there are not the numbers dropping out of the programs that support these young people - maybe one or two a year, but there are more than that needing to come into the programs. Year after year more people are needing these services. I am talking about just one area. Today I am not getting into the question of the frail aged. That is a growing area.

I went to a seminar on Monday this week where all the difficulties of care were pointed out. Obviously, future budgets will have to attend to this problem. It is very important that they do so. While I have taken people to Mr Moore, I do not believe that this is a very good process. It has worked on this occasion for two families; but, when access to essential services depends on your access to the Minister, that is not the best way to proceed. That really cannot continue. I see that Mr Moore agrees. We need systems in

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