Page 5457 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 16 November 2010
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Women) (3.38): For the information of members I present a paper entitled Future directions: towards challenge 2014—implementation plan: 2010-2014. I move:
That the Assembly take note of the paper.
I am pleased to table the ACT government’s next implementation plan for people with a disability in the ACT, Future directions: towards challenge 2014—implementation plan: 2010-2014. This government is committed to improving outcomes and opportunities for all Canberrans with disability and achieving the vision established in 2002 that all people with a disability achieve what they want to achieve, live how they choose to live and are valued as full and equal members of the ACT community.
The 10-year vision articulated in challenge 2014 calls on the whole community, including government, to take responsibility for effective change to improve the potential for people with a disability to enjoy meaningful, valued and included lives in our ACT community.
For those of you who may not know, there are an estimated 45,000 people with a disability in the ACT. In September of 2004, this government launched Future directions: a framework for the ACT 2004-08. This was the first step in a collaborative, coordinated and holistic approach to achieve the vision and the rights of people with disability to self determination, respect, dignity and participation in all levels of the community. The framework delivered considerable gains for individuals, families and community services.
You would know that the ACT government has significantly increased recurrent funding for disability support since 2002-03 from $41.5 million to $74.1 million in 2010-11. This represents a 79 per cent increase in annual recurrent funding. As well, the government continues the reform and evaluation of how services are delivered. Along the way, we have seen innovation, courage and vision in how we do our work, and the future looks positive.
Continuing this commitment, the ACT government launched Future directions: towards challenge 2014 in September of 2009. This document is the ACT government’s guide for delivering disability policy and services over the next four years. It is a bold piece of work, crafted with the assistance of people with a disability, their carers, their families and others in the community, and it is making a real difference in the lives of people with a disability and, therefore, their families.
An important element of future directions was an initial 2009-10 plan of action. Since the launch of this first implementation plan, significant progress has been made against its 42 actions, and I would like to outline a few of these here today.
The ACT government has progressed actions that will assist people with disability to get the right support at the right time and in the right place. We have achieved this through developing policy frameworks to better support people with a disability who are ageing and Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander people with a disability, piloting direct funding approaches for people with a disability after consulting on direct payment options, implementing programs to reduce household energy and water costs
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