Page 2747 - Week 08 - Thursday, 24 August 2006
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
same rights and entitlements to enter into accommodation agreements with housing providers, both government or private, as is available in the general community.
No-one would deny any member of the community the right to be empowered to take up an accommodation option of their choosing, but I argue that Canberrans who currently access the disability group homes and who require particular care needs will, if they choose to, move into alternative supported housing options. It is the Liberal opposition’s belief that the government has a duty to offer essential services that are adequately funded in order to meet the specific need.
It is hoped that sufficient numbers of staff are still maintained by Disability ACT to continue operating disability group homes in the ACT. It is well known that community sector support workers tend to be highly motivated, well trained, focused on the task at hand and seemingly tend to remain in the sector for sustained periods of time. I say this as it would be interesting to compare the levels of support offered to community sector support workers by their organisation, as opposed to the training and support offered to disability support workers operating in government-owned group homes.
I acknowledge the previous minister’s statement that they have no intention of closing group homes. Ms Gallagher, as minister responsible, has also said that group homes will not be closing. I simply hope that this is not going to be an issue that will see group homes closed—if I can use the words—“by stealth” so that, when a person moves out of a group home and a space becomes available, we do not fill the space and eventually homes close. I am going to be watching that very carefully. I know that the minister knows I will be watching carefully, too. It really is important that we leave as many options as we can in our community for those people with a disability to be able to access.
In turn, it would be interesting to see a breakdown of any efficiency savings that Disability ACT may well extract from a greater involvement of the community sector in the delivery of accommodation services for people with a disability. It is hoped that, in no way, will the service experience a downturn as a result of any devolution of responsibility for the operation of a disability group home model from government to the community sector.
I turn to the decision, rather premature I believe, to cut overmatching funding for the supported accommodation assistance program, or SAAP. No doubt it will be felt throughout the crisis accommodation and community services sectors. It is still difficult to digest the words the minister put forth during the estimates process when asked just how the sector would cope with the reduction in the ACT’s contribution to SAAP services. I was astounded that, in essence, the government has to seek efficiency gains in this area and that the sector would cope with the funding reduction. This section of our community is under inordinate pressure. I am going to be waiting and watching, as is the sector, who are still reeling, I have to say, from the announcement, to see how they cope. It will be very interesting.
ACTCOSS reported in the estimates process that it was concerned over the “reductions to the level of SAAP funding and the implications of these changes for the ACT homelessness strategy”. Again, it is disappointing, because a lot of work was put into that strategy by the sector and by the former minister Bill Wood. Is this going to be
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .