Message from the Minister
Warren Pitt, MPMinister for Disability Services
I am proud to deliver another record budget for Disability Services Queensland — $1,082 million — which is the largest allocation ever provided to the department.
Included in this figure is funding of $348.5 million for Home and Community Care and $16.5 million for mental health services, which have recently been transferred to the department.
The disability services component is $717 million, a 13.1 per cent increase compared with last year.
This government has established a strong trend of rapid growth in disability services funding – and this will continue in 2007–08. The state-funded component of Disability Services Queensland’s budget has increased by 371 per cent in 10 years, with more than 18,000 people now receiving government-funded services.
With demand steadily growing, we are looking forward and building our capacity.
Accordingly, this budget has a strong focus on service delivery, infrastructure development and innovation as a way of contributing to a better quality of life for Queenslanders with a disability.
Foremost among this year’s initiatives is an increase over four years of $84.8 million in operating funding and $24.3 million in infrastructure investment to ensure that people with an intellectual disability who exhibit severely challenging behaviours have every possible opportunity to live and participate in the community.
As the Honourable Bill Carter QC noted in his recently released report into disability services: “service delivery needs to be driven by innovative thinking, best practice, critical analysis and the drive for continual improvement”.
This is consistent with Disability Services Queensland’s current approach and will underpin planning for a ground-breaking centre of excellence, purpose-built accommodation and the recruitment of 188 people to provide specialist response services throughout the state.
We are also improving the way Disability Services Queensland’s services are accessed. Individualised needs assessment and changes to improve responsiveness are now being planned.
This budget also delivers growth in capacity. New accommodation and day services will be provided for people with high and complex support needs.
Home and Community Care’s budget is over 11 per cent to enable increased levels of domestic assistance, social support, personal care, home maintenance and nursing services to be provided.
New facilities and services will be provided to reduce the number of younger people with a disability living in residential aged care facilities and the Post-School Services Program will be extended to assist young adults and their families make the transition from school to adult life.
Strengthening the capacity of our non-government partners to deliver services will continue to be a priority, as will funding peak bodies to ensure the sector has a voice.
With recent legislative reforms, the continuing rollout of the Queensland Disability Service Standards, staff and community support and a commitment to continuous improvement, DSQ is well equipped to meet its growing challenges.
Warren Pitt,
MP Minister for Disability Services
Last updated February 2009