DISABILITY SERVICES

The Hon. S.G. WADE (14:41): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion a question in relation to unmet disability need.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: The March monthly update of unmet need in the provision of disability services in South Australia was released today. It shows that the category 1 unmet need for supported accommodation has increased to a record 590 individuals, an almost 80 per cent increase since November 2008. I note the comments by the Leader of the Government that the government is pleased that it is stopping the escalation in the wine glut. I am more concerned about the escalation in unmet need for people with disabilities. My questions to the minister are:

1. What action is the government taking to arrest the increase in unmet need?

2. When does the government project the increase will be arrested, at least?

3. When is it projected to start to decline?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, Minister for Social Housing, Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers) (14:42): I thank the honourable member for his most important question. Since 2002, the South Australian government has more than doubled its spending on disability from $135.4 million in 2002-03 to $286.4 million in 2010-11. In 2011-12, disability support services were provided with $56 million in additional funding for services to people with disability over the following four years. This $56 million is to go directly to address unmet needs.

We have more than doubled funding in this area since forming government, yet the unmet need still remains unacceptably high. So, do we keep pouring money into a system that is broken or do we overhaul the system so that future funding is much more targeted and efficient? It is important to note that the need for disability services is increasing as the population ages, certain disabilities are increasing in prevalence, and people with disability are living longer. These trends are being experienced across Australia.

The move away from institutional-style accommodation for people with intellectual disabilities and complex behaviour issues has also had a major impact on the unmet need list for accommodation. We need to provide these clients with high needs smaller supported accommodation houses within the community.

While we are focused on a major systemic reform and the introduction of self-managed funding, the South Australian government has already committed funding to a number of supported accommodation projects that will boost the availability of supported accommodation for people with disability. These include the Disability Housing Project, with $30.4 million of state government funding. It will deliver 61 new disability-accessible homes, providing 132 accommodation places. To date, 20 properties have been completed in Salisbury, Woodville Gardens and Port Augusta. Four homes in Mount Gambier and another 20 properties in metropolitan Adelaide, Loxton and Minlaton will be completed in the next year.

I have mentioned before in this place the Bedford Homes for 100 Project. The state government committed $5 million, as did the Bedford Foundation, to fund 32 new developments to provide accommodation for 70 people with a disability. A total of 28 have been completed, providing 61 additional places. The final four properties, providing nine places, will be completed in 2012.

The state government has also committed $15.7 million to date for 47 accommodation places in partnership with Minda, with a further 41 places to be made available next year, I understand. Early intervention responses, including the provision of equipment that can assist some people to remain in their own homes rather than require supported accommodation, also remain a priority for this government.

There is always more work that needs to be done in the area of disability support, but I believe the reforms that we are undertaking will provide people living with disability better opportunities, greater control, increased dignity and flexible support in areas where they really need them. The introduction of self-managed funding will have a flow-on effect to the whole system, and I anticipate that levels of unmet need for accommodation, respite and even equipment will dramatically reduce over the next few years.

I am very pleased that the honourable member did find those unmet need figures published on the net, web, inter-something or Google that the Hon. Mr Wade accesses from time to time. He might like to give his opposition spokesperson in the other place a lesson on how to access those, because I understand that he said in a speech in the chamber this week that he looked up the website and could not find the figures for February. I understand that my staff looked up the website on the same day and found them there as plain as day. I am glad that the Hon. Mr Wade would be able to find the March ones, which were put up very recently.