BackTuesday, 11 March 2014
Yes to a Better Yorke Peninsula – Dignity for Disability Launches Regional SA Policy
A sustainable and collaborative approach to alternative energy generation and better delivery of essential services were identified as major issues for the Yorke Peninsula when Dignity for Disability launched its regional SA policy today.
Plans to build Australia’s biggest wind farm near Black Point on the Yorke Peninsula were recently approved – something Dignity for Disability says will greatly benefit the region if handled properly.
“We understand the plans have been welcomed by some locals and have been considered disruptive and upsetting by others,” said Dignity for Disability Party Leady Kelly Vincent MLC. “The Yorke Peninsula is their home, and every resident deserves to have a say in its future.”
“Dignity for Disability believes wind farms are an important part of our state’s secure energy future, and that the farms could have excellent economic benefits for the Yorke Peninsula by creating employment. But, if this is to be a sustainable industry the private enterprises and Government Departments involved need to take the time to properly engage with community concerns and conduct research to allay those concerns where required.”
The other major change necessary on the Yorke Peninsula identified in Dignity for Disability’s policy is better dispersal of services such as participation in community sport, education, disability support, and mental health treatment.
“The Yorke Peninsula suffers from a concentration of services that practically ignores the population living in smaller townships,” said Ms Vincent. “Specialist disability education facilities, for example, are almost all located on the north of the Peninsula, leaving children with disabilities in the south in mainstream education environments that might not help them reach their full potential.”
“Essential services must be made accessible to every individual through an overhaul of the rural delivery system. Instead of prioritising budgets we should prioritise people’s needs and provide them with support in a community setting. This approach has been proven to reduce dependency on services over time, and is therefore in the long-term economic interest of South Australia.”
