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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2010-09-29 Daily Xml
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DISABILITY ADVOCACY SERVICES

The Hon. K.L. VINCENT (14:39): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for State and Local Government Relations, representing the Minister for Disabilities, a question about disability advocacy services in South Australia.

Leave granted.

The Hon. K.L. VINCENT: On Monday I attended the Disability Advocacy and Complaints Service of South Australia (DACSSA) annual general meeting. DACSSA is an organisation which provides advocacy services to people with disabilities in this state. In 2009-10 DACSSA staff members handled approximately 1,400 inquiries and advocated on behalf of more than 544 people.

Despite this organisation's great work, the services that it provides have slowly been whittled away on account of financial difficulty. Over the past year, staff hours have been cut and two advocate positions were made redundant in an effort to put the service back into the black, so to speak. However, the cuts were not enough, and I have learned that DACSSA's Whyalla office will be closing due to lack of financial resources. This is indeed a tragedy in view of the fact that access to disability-related services is extremely limited in regional areas. This is one organisation that was on the ground, rather than just being on the end of a phone line.

DACSSA is just one advocacy organisation that my office has met with, but what I have found is that all of the advocacy organisations I have met with share one thing in common and that is a lack of funds and support from the state government. My questions are:

1. How much money does this state government spend on disability advocacy services in South Australia?

The Hon. A. Bressington interjecting:

The Hon. K.L. VINCENT: I know, but I am asking, anyway. You have to do these things.

2. What advocacy services organisations are funded by the state government and how many people have accessed these in the past 12 months?

3. What advocacy services are available to people in regional and remote areas in South Australia?

4. As at today's date, which advocacy services has the government consulted in relation to the draft National Disability Advocacy Framework?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister for the City of Adelaide) (14:41): I thank the honourable member for her important questions. I will refer her questions to the Minister for Disabilities in another place and bring back a response.

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