National Carers Week

The Hon. N.F. COOK (Hurtle Vale—Minister for Human Services, Minister for Seniors and Ageing Well) (15:26): Marni naa pudni to all here in the gallery today, all carers, carer representatives and organisations who have come along today to celebrate with the Parliamentary Friends of SA Carers this year after the launch last year. I know my parliamentary colleagues Lucy Hood, the member for Adelaide, and the Hon. Heidi Girolamo from the other place have enjoyed their roles as advocates for carers in this place along with all of us.

Every October, we celebrate National Carers Week. We recognise, celebrate and raise awareness of the three million Australians who provide unpaid care and support to a family member, loved one or friend. On Sunday, parliament was lit up in blue to mark the start of Carers Week. A range of events are happening also to mark that occasion. I was really thrilled and moved to meet some really excellent, inspiring young carers last week, each with their own unique stories and journeys about being a carer for a parent, a sibling or another loved one.

Lucy Hood, member for Adelaide, has talked about Joshua Patrick, who is a young carer from Western Australia. His experience of caring for his sister Charlotte is really one to pay attention to and one to learn from. I look forward to learning more from Joshua as time goes by. I have committed to speak to him again. He describes those challenges navigating systems and how difficult it is attending school, completing schoolwork and actually being a kid with all those challenges that are more for an adult. Other young carers at the event, like Angus, Aaliyah, Evie, Ashlee and Reagan, all shared similar experiences. The youngest was 11 years old.

In my own electorate, my good friend, young carer and community advocate Callum Barrott-Walsh has his own experiences caring for his brother and his father. Although carers—young or ageing well, child or parent, sibling or parent—share the same role, caring and every experience within that and every responsibility is absolutely different. Sometimes it is looking after an ageing parent who needs help moving around. Other times it is being there for a family member with mental ill health. In lots of cases, it is helping someone with intellectual disability or an acquired brain injury to manage the complex world around us.

Even when people have access to funded systems like the NDIS—and trust me, yesterday at the foundational supports round table, carers and the challenges and the need for more help were absolutely at the centre of that conversation. NDIS or My Aged Care: these funded systems rarely match the level of knowledge, commitment, flexibility and responsiveness that comes from someone who knows and loves the caree.

Our government is committed to recognising carers, and we are currently reviewing the Carers Recognition Act. I thank everybody who has participated in that engagement, and I want you to know that the work is underway and we want to get that piece of work right. We want to ensure that it acknowledges the unique role of being a carer and reflects the needs of South Australia's carers. The commonwealth government is completing their own review and so we want these two to match up and make sure that they work together well.

This financial year we have also provided over $1.5 million in funding to support carers through advocacy, carer break services and youth carer support services. These services ensure there is a representation and a voice for carers in policy that carers receive funded breaks and respite from caring duties. Again, while we acknowledge there can never be enough, we want to make sure that it is fair and equitable and everybody has a chance at a break.

We support young carers with great focus on their needs, their wellbeing, social connections and participation in education and employment. The role of carers cannot be understated, understood—in fact understood most of the time, right?—or underestimated. It is often thrust upon them and sometimes the circumstances are absolutely unfavourable, but they never shirk that responsibility. The support they provide to loved ones is absolutely invaluable.

I deeply thank all carers for what you all do every day, supporting your loved ones, supporting your friends, supporting your community while contributing to the development and growth of our community more broadly. I look forward to continuing to work with you and to make caring an easier thing to do.