TRANSPORT ASSISTANCE

Mrs PENFOLD (Flinders) (15:17): My question is to the Minister for Education. Will the minister advise the house why a disabled young man cannot utilise the DECS-funded taxi service, which goes past his farm gate, to enable him to attend the DECS Moving On program in Port Lincoln? I have been contacted by Steve Richter, whose autistic son, Rodney, has been attending Port Lincoln Special School for eight years utilising a DECS-funded taxi service with other disabled students from the area. Unfortunately, as Rodney has now turned 20, he can no longer attend school and is enrolled in the Moving On program.

Despite the taxi bus going past his farm every school day, Rodney is not allowed to access it. His parents cannot utilise the $2,000 offered by the department as it must be paid to a taxi company. This amount would fund transport for only seven days anyway, and it essentially duplicates the existing service that runs parallel to it. People in rural areas do not have any alternative public transport opportunities, and volunteers are once again being called upon.

The Hon. J.D. LOMAX-SMITH (Adelaide—Minister for Education, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for Tourism, Minister for the City of Adelaide) (15:18): I am happy to help the member opposite. She has her details somewhat tangled, as ever. I understand the issue she raises; it relates to a young man who has left school, who is no longer of school age and who is therefore not attending a public school or the sort of educational facilities run by DECS.

As she would realise, DECS clearly provides transport assistance to disabled students attending schools, and it does that so that they can attend the closest special unit, whether that be a special unit, a preschool or a school within the area. I know that DECS has not been able to continue taking this young man to his Options destination, which is not part of the schooling system, not paid for by DECS and not a public school or a secondary school; it is not in that system.

What we can do, and we are doing, is look at the taxi service, which is funded through DECS, which is paid for through our budget and which is a service provided to individuals going to school, and see whether an arrangement can be made to allow other individuals to be carried on these buses.

The reality is that there are more complex issues that the member does not understand. Schools have a duty of care when transporting students within their control, and there are complex issues that need to be addressed before adults are carried. Certainly, we are looking at how the taxi provider might provide services for another individual, but the member is inaccurate when she suggests that the young man is attending schools. She is not attending a DECS service. As I understood what she said, she does not quite have the facts correct. I am very happy—

Mr Williams: A Moving On program.

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.D. LOMAX-SMITH: I am very happy to brief her—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.D. LOMAX-SMITH: —on this matter, on this program, which is not funded and run by DECS. I have explained—

Mrs Penfold interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.D. LOMAX-SMITH: —though the member does not appear to want to listen—that there are ways that this matter might be resolved, and we are happy to look at it, but there are complex issues in dealing with an adult involved in bus services for children that those opposite do not wish to hear about.