DISABILITY CARE

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton) (14:42): My question is to the Minister for Disabilities. What action has the government taken to improve the wellbeing of children living with a disability in South Australia?

The Hon. A. PICCOLO (Light—Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, Minister for Social Housing, Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers) (14:42): I would like to thank the honourable member for his very important question. As the house would be aware, the state government, in conjunction with the commonwealth government, launched DisabilityCare on 1 July of this year, and young people will be the first to benefit from this landmark reform scheme. When the commonwealth announced the NDIS, this government made the decision very early in the piece to guarantee the care of young people under this scheme. We did that because we believe, fundamentally, that every possible chance should be afforded to every child in our community.

Over the last few weeks, I have been on the road in various electorates listening to what young people with a disability are experiencing and what can be done to afford every chance to them. Seeing what young people in the South Australian disability sector have to offer has been very moving and humbling. I was fortunate enough to have a round table discussion with a group of young carers at Carers SA, who explained to me that they often have to say no to friends' parties or activities in general because they are caring for a sibling or parent.

Members of this group also talked to me about how caring for loved ones had drastically affected their ability to complete high school or take on further education. I would like to thank Tegan, Simone, Tanya, Nicole, Chris and Katie for taking the time to give me an insight into their challenging lives. What will DisabilityCare do for these young people? The introduction of DisabilityCare will go a long way to help provide these young people with the type of respite they need to enjoy their childhood, despite not personally living with a disability.

I also met with some young people from Purple Orange, who operate the Julia Farr Youth Mentoring Program. The government provides the funding for this highly valuable program, which seeks to match children between the ages of 11 and 18 who are living with a disability to be mentored by young adults aged 18 to 30 who are also living with a disability. Mentors and mentees get together regularly to provide friendship and guidance and to learn new skills.

The group explained to me that the opportunity to help a younger person navigate their way through the anguish that teenagers living with a disability can experience gives them a huge level of personal fulfilment. I would also like to thank Nick, Jared, Belle, Jessie, Jala, Bradley, Angus, Ellen and other members of the group for sharing their stories with me. Again, what will DisabilityCare do for those young people? I can advise that the introduction of DisabilityCare will help these young people to choose to participate in this type of program, and more kids will be able to access it.

I also had the opportunity recently to open the government's Smart Living Project in Woodville West. These eight apartments incorporate innovative South Australian technology that enables people living with a disability to lead more independent lives. It affords people greater dignity and independence by reducing reliance on paid support staff who are required to be in their homes at all times. This will have an enormous impact on their lives.

I was particularly taken by the overwhelming happiness of a young woman named Tiffany, who is about to become a tenant of the new apartments. With tears in her eyes she explained to me that as a young girl she dreamed of the day, like all young people, that she would be able to live in her own house, make her own rules and be her own person. Despite her profound mobility restrictions, the Smart Living Project has seen her dream realised. Tiffany's story is common to all young people living with a disability.

Last Sunday, on the eve of the launch of DisabilityCare, I met with young Reilly and Samuel, who were born with autism and Down syndrome respectively. I discussed with their parents who, to their great credit, had many questions about the benefits that DisabilityCare would bring them. In the discussion, I explained that the generation that young Reilly and Samuel will grow up in will be one that, thanks to DisabilityCare, recognises people living with a disability as equals.

In conclusion, with its commitment to DisabilityCare, this government is leading the way in creating a fairer and more inclusive community, and putting children first. It is this government that has been working hard and remains focused on the task ahead so that young people with disabilities can grow, prosper and contribute in all the ways they want to.

Mr Griffiths interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Goyder is correct in thinking that four minutes has long been up. The leader.