National Disability Insurance Scheme

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE (14:38): My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. Will the health minister provide interim funding to ensure that 25 organisations and 150 staff providing vital community mental health and respite services in the community, and over 2,000 people receiving these services, are able to continue beyond 1 July?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:39): I thank the honourable member for her question. I presume what the honourable member is referring to is the organisations that are having their funding withdrawn as the NDIS is rolled out. Is that the case?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: Yes.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: As the NDIS rolls out and comes close to full scheme, the state government is very concerned about mental health clients who may not be able to access services under the NDIS. All governments—state and federal—have committed to ensuring that clients in commonwealth and state mental health programs will not be disadvantaged by the NDIS and that continuity of support will be provided to those people.

There are currently four commonwealth funded non-government mental health programs that provide assistance to mental health clients. It is estimated that the funding for these four programs in South Australia totals $40 million. The state government is concerned that the commonwealth is withdrawing funding for these services before clients are receiving services under the NDIS. As I said, the bilateral NDIS transition agreement between the commonwealth and South Australia defines the responsibility for the continuity of support to people of all ages in receipt of commonwealth administered disability programs to rest with the commonwealth, which is reflected in information given to clients on the Department of Social Services website.

It is the view of the Marshall Liberal government that the commonwealth should continue to provide support for individuals who would have otherwise been receiving a service, only reducing this support as these individuals access alternative services. The honourable Minister for Human Services and I share a real concern about the situation. I have spoken to my federal colleague directly on a couple of occasions. My understanding from my discussions with the honourable minister is that she has officers interstate this week to try to work through this issue.

What has happened, in our view, is that the federal government has gotten ahead of itself in the recent budget, if you like. It is withdrawing funding and assuming a take-up rate in the NDIS that is optimistic. We believe that is a risk to mental health consumers and the organisations that serve them. We will continue to advocate with our federal colleagues, not only to maintain continuity of service to mental health consumers but also to honour the commitments they have given to not just this government but the people of Australia.