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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-10-17 Daily Xml
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DISABILITY SERVICES

The Hon. K.L. VINCENT (14:34): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before directing questions to the minister representing the Minister for Disabilities on the subject of brokerage expenses.

Leave granted.

The Hon. K.L. VINCENT: I, like other members I am sure, have recently received a copy of the Auditor-General's Report for the 2012-13 financial year and have begun the process of examining the many facts and figures contained within.

I was very interested to note that over the five years from 2008 to 2013 the cost of brokered services, those contracted out to third parties by DCSI, has virtually doubled, moving from $57 million to $112 million in the last financial year. Other figures in the report show that this has been a steady increase over the period in question, with an increase of over $12 million each financial year. My questions to the minister are:

1. What are the reasons for this steady and very substantial increase in the cost of brokered services purchased by DCSI?

2. Is the climbing cost of brokered services likely to plateau and, if so, when?

3. What impact is the expansion of the national disability insurance agency likely to have on the cost of brokered services?

4. Has the increased expenditure in this area by DCSI led to an improvement in the services received by South Australians with disabilities?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (14:35): I thank the honourable member for her most important questions. I undertake to take them to the Minister for Disabilities in the other place and seek a response on her behalf. However, just one reason comes to mind, of course, and that is possibly because of the massive increase in government investment in disability services for the disability community and members of that community. It may not be surprising, in fact, given that the government has increased its expenditure in those areas massively over the last year or two. Our costs of brokered services may also have gone up, but I will undertake to bring back a response. Good question.

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