Autism Strategy

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (14:31): My question is to the Minister for Autism, and I am looking forward to a very informative and substantial answer to this question. Will the minister inform the council about the recent launch of the action plan for the state's first autism strategy?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE (Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Autism) (14:31): I thank the honourable member for his question and interest in this space. In June 2024, the Malinauskas Labor government launched our state's first autism strategy. The strategy set out a five-year road map to build understanding, knowledge and belonging in South Australia. The strategy was a gathering of extensive consultation and engagement with South Australian autistic and autism communities, with more than 1,000 submissions received to the South Australian government YourSAy platform.

On 29 September 2025, I had the honour of joining the Minister for Human Services in the other place, the Hon. Nat Cook, at the Adelaide Convention Centre, where the state strategy was put into action with the launch of the Autism Strategy Action Plan for 2025 to 2029. The launch event was attended by representatives from the Department of Human Services and the Office for Autism and, importantly, members of the South Australian autistic and autism communities, who helped make the strategy and the action plan come to life and become a reality.

The action plan outlines more than 200 actions that the Malinauskas Labor government has committed to undertake to help make South Australia an autism inclusion state across seven focus areas, including pathways to diagnosis, positive educational experiences, thriving in the workplace, access to supports and services, participation in the community, access to health and mental health services, and supports for the justice system.

Departments and agencies across the state government will work together to take action through the links and through enabling training and support services programs to be implemented and for communities to participate in these outcomes. The action plan outlines many commitments and actions based on the recent engagement, and is also designed to serve as a living document that can adapt to the needs of the South Australian autistic and autism communities as understanding, knowledge and belonging continues to grow.

The Department of Human Services will also work with other departments and agencies to report on actions implemented, so we will have the opportunity to monitor progress and actions across the coming years. The importance of the action plan was highlighted by members of the state Autism Strategy Advisory Committee, who shared their stories through speeches and at the event through a panel discussion.

Committee members, Jack and Sake, who participated in the panel events, were generous in sharing their stories of their respective families. Whilst they outlined challenges and barriers they had each encountered on their own journeys, they also outlined how important this action plan had been for them to feel confident within their own community. I want to thank Jack and Sake and the many other members of the South Australian autistic and autism communities who so generously gave their stories to help make autism inclusion initiatives come to life in South Australia. It was really exciting to be a part of this incredible launch to see this come to life.