Budget blues: will Snelling cough up the cash?
30/05/2012
With the inevitable and strategic leaking of good news stories from Treasurer Snelling in recent days, Dignity for Disability remain more concerned than ever that disability funding will be put on the backburner in tomorrow’s 2012 Budget by the state government.
“Last year, Treasurer Snelling delivered his first state budget stating he was impassioned about addressing the needs of vulnerable people,” says Dignity for Disability’s MLC Kelly Vincent.
“Yet here we are well into 2012 and current ROGS* figures show we remain a national disgrace when it comes to disability funding in South Australia.
“This year’s state budget is the one opportunity this government has to demonstrate to South Australians and the federal government they’re actually serious about clearing the unmet needs list and improving the lives of people with disability.
“The Weatherill Government is good on rhetoric, but agonisingly slow when it comes to real action on unmet needs.
“I have been banging on about unmet needs for some years now, yet the Minister for Disabilities seems resigned to the fact they continue to grow and grow every month without fail,” said Ms Vincent.
“The latest release of unmet needs data** show yet another shameful increase in Category 1 unmet need in accommodation, respite, community access and community support.
“It’s time for the Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Disabilities to get serious and inject some cash into this sector. I dearly hope to see the Treasurer prove this Thursday that he’s committed to his previous promises,” concluded Ms Vincent.
Without a funding boost of at least $100 million, the Category 1 Critical Unmet Needs list for Disability Services cannot be cleared. This means that families will continue to have no respite from children with severe disabilities, that ageing parents will continue to care for adult children with intellectual disabilities at home and that people will not have basic equipment needs met.
*ROGS data (see Volume 2 – Chapter 14) http://www.pc.gov.au/gsp/rogs/2012
** Unmet needs data: http://tinyurl.com/7a6do9y
