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Commonwealth State/Territory Disability Agreement

Multilateral Agreement | Queensland Bilateral Agreement | Improving quality services for people with disabilities in Queensland | National Disability Administrators

The third Commonwealth State/Territory Disability Agreement (CSTDA) 2002-07, signed by Queensland in June 2003, provides a national policy framework for the Australian and state governments to fund, monitor and support quality services for people with a disability. This CSTDA includes a two-tiered arrangement of multilateral and bilateral agreements.

The overall implementation of the CSTDA is managed through a Multilateral Agreement signed by all state Ministers and the Australian Government Minister and bilateral agreements signed by the respective State Minister and the Australian Government Minister.

The Honourable Mal Brough, Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and the Minister assisting the Prime Minister for Indigenous Affairs and the Honourable Warren Pitt, MP, Minister for Communities, Disability Services and Seniors are the responsible Ministers for implementing the agreement in Queensland.

Multilateral Agreement

The Multilateral Agreement includes five policy priorities:

Policy Priority 1

Strengthen access to generic services for people with disabilities by:

• fostering a whole of government approach to maximise the opportunity for people with disabilities to participate socially and economically in the community
• explicitly recognising access to, and the role of, generic services as a complement to the focus on the funding and delivery of specialist disability services and supports.

Policy Priority 2

Strengthen across government linkages by:

• positively influencing the service system within and external to the agreement to ensure that access to appropriate services is supported and strengthened
• improving collaboration, co-ordination across programs and governments to ensure that people with disabilities have fair opportunities to access and transition between services at all stages of their lives.

Policy Priority 3

Strengthen individuals, families and carers by:

• developing supports and services based on individual needs and outcomes, which enhance the well-being, contribution, capacity and inclusion of individuals, families and carers
• increasing their opportunities to influence the development and implementation of supports and service at all levels.

Policy Priority 4

Improve long-term strategies to respond to and manage demand for specialist disability services through:

• a strategic approach to broad national and local/jurisdictional planning to underpin the determination and allocation of equitable funding to respond to unmet demand, growth in demand and cost increases
• approaches which enhance prevention and early intervention outcomes, the effective co-ordination across service systems and clear and transparent decision making.

Policy Priority 5

Improve accountability, performance reporting and quality by:

• improving accountability and transparency for specialist disability services funded under this agreement
• incrementally developing, implementing and reporting progress on the aforementioned national policy priorities.

The first twelve months of the agreement involved the negotiations followed by planning for the joint partnership work.

Full details of the Multilateral Agreement are available in PDF format from the Australian Government Department of Family, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs website.

Queensland Bilateral Agreement

The Queensland Bilateral Agreement spells out the collaborative work and areas of mutual concern to be progressed by both the Australian and State Governments.

These include:

1. Strengthening cross government linkages, particularly at critical life stages and transition points through:
   • aged care/disability services interface (including younger people in nursing homes);
   • movement of people with disabilities from school to appropriate employment, day options and training services;
   • service infrastructure and establishment development.
2. Strengthening supports and services based on individual needs to enhance the well-being, contribution and capacity of individuals, families and carers through:
   • a more coordinated and effective approach to advocacy for people with disabilities
   • disability advisory bodies (The Disability Council of Queensland);
   • Acquired Brain Injury (ABI).
3. Improving long term strategies to respond to, and manage, demand for specialist disability support through:
   • exchange of information on service strategies and demand trends.

Full details of the Bilateral Agreement are available in PDF format from the Australian Government Department of Family, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs website.

Improving quality services for people with disabilities in Queensland

This partnership work between Disability Services Queensland and the Australian Government Department of Family, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs is expected to foster:

• developed relationships across both jurisdictions
• greater accountability of CSTDA funding
• partnership approaches to policy considerations
• exchange of information across both jurisdictions
• shared planning strategies to support the progress of the CSTDA Policy Priorities.

There will also be regular meetings with the Chair of the Disability Council of Queensland and opportunities for Council members to receive regular updates from each level of government.

Reporting on the outcomes of the CSTDA will be achieved through the CSTDA National Public Report. This annual report will provide an opportunity for both jurisdictions to record the progress of the five policy priorities in Queensland.

Both jurisdictions have committed staff, resources and management to ensure the implementation of the CSTDA.

The third agreement has a focus on improving accountability and transparency and commits the parties to developing strategies for the management of demand for disability services.

National Disability Administrators

The National Disability Administrators is the key national representative body for government agencies in the Commonwealth, States and Territories responsible for the delivery of specialist disability support services to people with disabilities. The National Disability Administrators comprises the heads of Commonwealth, State and Territory Government disability agencies - nine jurisdictions in total. The National Disability Administrators is responsible for the management and implementation of the CSTDA.

Further information about the work the National Disability Administrators is undertaking can be accessed through the National Disability Administrators website.