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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2008-11-13 Daily Xml
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ARCADIA SUPPORTED RESIDENTIAL FACILITY

Mr PENGILLY (Finniss) (14:52): My question is for the Minister for Housing. Is the minister aware that the Arcadia Supported Residential Facility in Port Elliot is closing on 4 December of this year; and what action will the minister take to provide accommodation for the 22 residents who currently reside there?

The private SRF is one of a number that have given notice of impending closure. Currently, SRFs are restricted to claiming 80 per cent of a resident's pension and a subsidy received from the state government. The 2002 Department for Families and Communities commissioned report, entitled 'Somewhere to call home', recommended that 32-bed facilities require an 85 per cent contribution from residents' pensions and a much greater subsidy to remain viable.

Currently, the government contribution is well below that recommended. In addition, selected non-government organisation (NGO) administered SRFs receive additional subsidies from government. The 2007-08 annual report of the SRF Advisory Committee repeated this warning of a critical financial situation for the sector.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE (Wright—Minister for Families and Communities, Minister for Northern Suburbs, Minister for Housing, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Disability) (14:53): Yes, I am aware of the circumstances at Port Elliot that the member for Finniss describes. Immediately upon becoming aware of that last week, we had officers engage with people there. I am happy to correct myself, but I think from discussions that I have had that we had people down there yesterday working with the residents about relocating them.

I am aware that the sector has raised a number of issues, but I am also aware that the government has put a number of measures in place to help support both the residents and these facilities in managing the issues that they are dealing with.

The Hon. R.J. McEwen interjecting:

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: As the member for Mount Gambier points out, this has only really become an issue since this government took some responsibility and cared about those people who have found themselves in these most distressing of circumstances. The number of people who are sleeping rough in South Australia, in the city, has dropped something like 45 per cent with the last census.

Nevertheless, an issue is being raised by those people who manage the SRFs and, as I have said, we have put a number of initiatives in place. One initiative that is about to roll out is managing the referral so that there is one point of referral for people needing this type of accommodation, so they actually go to suitable accommodation—

Mr PENGILLY: Point of order, sir. The question deliberately asks what action the minister will take to provide accommodation for the 22 people who will lose their residence.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister is answering the question.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: I am answering the question. We are acting as I speak, and I am happy to get more up-to-date information for the member when we leave the chamber so that he is fully briefed about what is actually happening with those individual residents. Let us not forget that these facilities are, in the main, for-profit enterprises. They are operating as businesses and they are privately owned. We have put a number of things in place to make sure that we support the individuals who have been suffering homelessness.

There are people who suffer mental illnesses and people who have drug and alcohol problems; they are dealing with a whole range of issues. There is something like $44 million over four years to ensure that people access their primary health care services and that they are getting assistance for their mental health problems. There is a whole range of those packages—and, as I have said, we are making sure that referrals are appropriate so that they are not put in a situation that the SRF itself and the residents cannot cope with. What we want for them is stable accommodation and for those facilities to have in place mechanisms that develop the skills of those residents so they can actually move out.

In fact, on Remembrance Day (Tuesday morning) I visited a supported residential facility, and I was incredibly impressed with the standard of that facility and the measures that they were putting in place to transition their residents out of their facility. So, rather than hold, capture and keep their client base, they are actually working with them to develop skills. Many of the people have jobs. They are developing new facilities to upgrade their living skills so that they can actually move out with them.

This afternoon, at 4 o'clock, I will be meeting with the Supported Residential Facilities Association to discuss and hear first-hand their concerns. I was to meet with them several weeks ago, but the president, who was then leaving on a trip to France, indicated that he would be away for five weeks and did not, as I understand it, want anyone to meet with me during the period that he was away, so I am meeting with him today.

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