Budget Highlights
Scott’s story
Scott will soon be appearing in a new campaign to encourage more Queenslanders to “See beyond the disability” by promoting community inclusion in all aspects of life.
“We are not asking for anything special or different to anyone else,” Scott says. “We just want to partake in and have the same opportunities to live in our community.”
The 2007–08 budget provides a total of $1,082 million to Disability Services Queensland — the largest allocation ever provided to the department. This includes $348.5 million funding for Home and Community Care and $16.5 million for mental health services, which have been transferred to the department as part of machinery-of-government changes, along with new funding for the Mental Health Strategic Plan for the non-government sector. It also includes an operational budget of $717 million in 2007–08 for the delivery of disability services, a 13.1 per cent increase from the 2006–07 budget.
In 2007–08 the budget for disability services has increased by 13.1 per cent with an additional allocation of $33.3 million in operational funding and $18.9 million for infrastructure investment.
Between 2007–08 and 2010–11, new funding of $233.3 million will provide disability services with an additional $33.3 million in 2007–08, $60.3 million in 2008–09, $68.4 million in 2009–10 and $71.3 million in 2010–11 to help meet the increasing demand for services.
By 2007–08, the level of state funding will have increased by nearly $464 million, or 371 per cent, since 1997–98 (excluding funding associated with recent machinery-of-government changes). State funding has increased from approximately $125 million in 1997–98 to $589 million in 2007–08.
The increased funding will provide for a range of initiatives to deliver better outcomes for Queenslanders with a disability, their families, carers and disability service providers.
Additional funding in the 2007–08 budget will focus on the following priority areas:
Delivering a contemporary disability service system
An extra $13 million in operational funding and $8.9 million in infrastructure investment has been allocated in 2007–08 to start establishing a more contemporary approach to the delivery of disability services in Queensland.
Operational funding will increase by $4.5 million and $0.6 million will be invested in facilities in 2007–08 as part of a $23.5 million funding increase over four years. This funding has been provided to support initiatives arising from consultations conducted on improving disability services in Queensland. The department will commence work on three priority areas: the introduction of fair and transparent access to government-funded specialist disability services (under the Commonwealth State-Territory Disability Agreement); the introduction of a person-centred approach to delivering government-funded specialist disability services; and the introduction of a contemporary approach to service management.
Balanced and protective responses will be provided for people with an intellectual or cognitive disability who exhibit severely challenging behaviours. An extra $7 million in operational funding and an investment in facilities of $5.8 million will be made in 2007–08. This will be enabled through the development of legislative safeguards and service infrastructure. These funds are part of a four-year $84.8 million operational funding increase and $24.3 million infrastructure investment.
An additional $1.5 million in operational funding and a one-off $2.5 million investment in technology in 2007–08 has been provided to enhance the Disability Services Queensland Information System (DISQIS). These funds are part of a $16.9 million operational funding increase and $11.7 million systems and technology investment over four years.
DISQIS is an information and technology infrastructure that will provide the department with information on client needs and sector capacity. It will ultimately strengthen the department’s capacity to provide appropriate, flexible, timely and cost-effective responses to client needs. From 2008–09, additional funding will enable the department to commence the development of an Internet portal to provide accessible information on disability and mainstream services for people with a disability, their families and carers, and to support referral activities undertaken by service providers.
Enhancing accommodation support and day programs
New accommodation support and day services for people with high and complex support needs will receive an extra $4 million in 2007–08 to establish services where gaps exist. This funding is part of a four-year, $20 million commitment to improve service access across the state.
During the next four years $22.4 million will be allocated to enable non-government service providers to support people who have a psychiatric disability and moderate to high support needs. This includes an extra $2.4 million provided in 2007–08 to enable clients to transition from Queensland Health facilities to community living.
People with spinal cord injuries will benefit with an additional $1 million allocation in 2007–08 to help the transition into community living. This four-year, $10 million initiative complements a coordinated response between the department (as lead agency), the Department of Housing and Queensland Health to help people with a spinal cord injury return to life in the community.
Sustaining and enhancing service delivery
The department’s Forward Capital Program and Strategic Asset Management System will receive an additional $3.6 million in operational funding and $10 million capital investment in 2007–08. This funding is part of a four-year program that will provide $13.7 million for operational requirements and $60 million for infrastructure to provide the required resources needed to sustain and enhance service delivery.
The Post Schools Program will receive $2 million a year for the next four years to help young people with a disability make the transition from school to life as an adult.
The Young Adults Exiting the Care of the State Program will also receive $2 million a year in funding for four years to assist young adults with a disability known to be exiting the care of the state.
The Facilitated Communication Strategy, which uses innovative techniques to assist people who have a movement disorder and complex communication needs to communicate more effectively, will receive $0.3 million in 2007–08 as part of a three-year, $0.9 million commitment.
Home and Community Care and mental health
Grants to non-government service providers to support people with mental illness will total $2.6 million in 2007–08. A total of $23.8 million will be allocated to service providers over the next four years.
The Home and Community Care Program — which provides domestic assistance, social support, personal care, home maintenance and modification, meal services, respite care, transport services, allied health services and community-based nursing for frail older people and younger people with moderate to severe disabilities — will receive an extra $12.6 million in 2007–08.
| 1998-99 | 1999-00 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Funding | 155.0 | 178.5 | 187.7 | 205.7 | 228.4 | 271.1 | 333.1 | 338.7 | 498.5 | 589.0 |
| Commonwealth funds | 64.4 | 69.5 | 83.5 | 94.4 | 99.2 | 106.1 | 109.2 | 117.0 | 118.6 | 121.7 |
| Other | 0.4 | 2.6 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 2.0 | 6.1 | 9.6 | 14.8 | 16.9 | 6.2 |
| HACC and mental health funding | 365.0 |
Between 2007–08 and 2010–11, an additional $233.3 million has been provided to deliver disability services. Disability Services Queensland will receive an extra $33.3 million in 2007–08, $60.3 million in 2008–09, $68.4 million in 2009–10 and $71.3 million in 2010–11 to enhance the delivery of disability services.
In 2007–08, the level of state funding will have increased by nearly $464 million (excluding additional funding associated with machinery-of government changes). This is an increase of 371 per cent since 1997–98.
In the 1997–98 budget DSQ received approximately $125 million in state funding. In the 2007–08 budget, state funding has increased to $589 million.
Last updated June 2008