Page 3145 - Week 07 - Thursday, 30 June 2011
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
The government has appropriated $2 million to $3 million per annum over the next four years to meet increasing demand. Most of the funds will go to individuals requiring new or increased individual support packages. However, while the hours of support per week are 30 in New South Wales, the minimum in the ACT is 12. Parents often struggle once their children finish their school years, as, while the children are likely to receive some level of support, parents often have to give up some work so they can provide the one-to-one support their child needs, which is no longer provided during school hours.
It has also often been said that while the government has a process for helping a family plan for what to do once their child finishes school, there are not enough options available to help families. This is why the Greens have strongly pushed for an enhancement of post-school options and have also engaged with Social Ventures Australia to try and pursue such options. We are pleased to see that the government has also seen the benefits of this approach and also intends to pursue it.
The estimates committee has recommended that the government review the post-school options and report to the Legislative Assembly by the first sitting day in December 2011. I look forward to that report. I was also extremely pleased with the support for the Greens’ motion from the government to establish three demonstration social enterprise projects.
On housing, it is good that the government has supported the intentional community in relation to disability. This has been a long-fought-for project by the families involved. There is a great deal of demand, particularly from parents who are ageing, and we need to open up the debate about what community inclusion means to different people and what weight is given to choice. It is true that the introduction of the national disability insurance scheme may see families doing group purchases for housing options. And I do take up the point made by parents that they want their children to be able to continue to maintain friendships with people they have grown up with. I do not believe it is about one model or the other when it comes to community inclusion—it is about having an appropriate mix of services that best meet the needs of each person.
I would also like to address the issue of accreditation. When people place their loved one in a disability service, they should be assured that the service is a quality one which will take good care of the person, their loved one. There is still a case which has not seen resolution; it is the subject of a coronial inquiry and has been referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions in New South Wales. We must ensure that such a tragic outcome never happens again.
I will quickly refer to respite; Mr Doszpot also did. Obviously, there was a respite inquiry, and this is a key area in disability. We do need adequate funding. Respite is one of the major ways in which parents and carers can continue that caring relationship and have that respite for themselves and also for the person they care for. This is a key area where we hope to see increased funding in the future.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video