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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-09-06 Daily Xml
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DISABILITY UNMET NEED

The Hon. S.G. WADE (14:36): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Disability a question in relation to unmet need.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: The July 2012 disability unmet need figures were released in the past week. They show that there is currently a record 560 people with disability on the category 1 unmet need waiting list for supported accommodation. This represents at least a 50 per cent increase in unmet need since the last state election. The disability sector has consistently asserted that funding commitments in future years is no substitute for addressing acute need now. My questions to the minister are:

1. When does the government modelling suggest that the number of people on the category 1 unmet need waiting list for supported accommodation will peak?

2. At what number does the government modelling suggest that the unmet need waiting list will peak?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, Minister for Social Housing, Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers) (14:37): I thank the honourable member for his most important question. Disability Services and, I must say, the Guide Dogs Association of SA and NT records unmet need data for eligible people with disability who are waiting for services. This information is collected as part of the assessment and service allocation process. Services are directed to individuals on a priority basis according to the urgency of need. The Guide Dogs Association of SA and NT is the options coordinator for the sensory sector and manages demand for these services.

The July 2012 figures show 2,850 eligible persons are waiting for accommodation support, or community access, or community support and respite services. Of these, 1,221 people were assessed as critical—that is, category 1—at an immediate high risk of harm to self or others, or homeless. In the metropolitan area there is a total of 2,987 unique clients across all groups and categories, with 988 unique clients in country regions. Of the 2,987 metro clients, 1,111 are category 1 across all groups, compared to 410 of the 988 clients in country regions.

In 2010-11, 21,822 people were reported as receiving disability services in South Australia. Data about the number of people who received services in 2011-12 is expected to be available in October 2012. Unmet need data is published monthly by Disability, Ageing and Carers. I reiterate what I have said in this place before: we are the only jurisdiction in the nation that publishes unmet need data.

We do that for very good reasons: for transparency and openness. We want people to know exactly what is going on. Other states do not; they refuse to, but we do, and we will continue to do so. South Australia is the only state to publish such comprehensive data regarding people waiting for disability services and we do it for the reason that we wish to know where we need to meet the demand in the sector.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Wade has a supplementary question.

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