Disability Access and Inclusion Directorate

The Hon. J.S. LEE (14:42): My question is to the Minister for Human Services regarding disability access and inclusion. Can the minister please provide an update to the council on how many people with disabilities benefit from the disability access and inclusion directorate announced in the state budget?

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (Minister for Human Services) (14:42): I thank the honourable member for her question and her interest in this area. The ever-benevolent Treasurer has indeed agreed to continue the good work of the disability access and inclusion directorate—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: —and the—

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Leader of the Opposition will cease interjecting.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: —access and inclusion directorate is incredibly important for furthering the government's agenda, in terms of providing access for people living with disability across South Australia. Some $4.7 million has been committed by the government to ensure that this directorate continues to be funded over the forward years. It not only ensures that South Australia's NDIS investment performs in the best interests of South Australians living with disability but also leads and directs the state's disability inclusion strategy, which is the first of its kind in South Australia.

This includes monitoring and reporting on over 100 disability access and inclusion plans across state authorities, as well as providing strategic leadership and advice to enact the government's quality and safeguarding agenda. The funding will ensure that we can continue to fund 11 FTEs in 2021-22. For the continued operation over the forward estimates, it's very important that we continue not only the inclusion agenda but also the support to advise me, as the minister, through the ministers' council at a national level, to be able to continue to coordinate with stakeholders and feed reforms forward, as we have seen in relation to a range of issues, including the health interface. The work of this directorate is incredibly important to ensure that both levels of government are coordinating our efforts together in the most effective manner.