Page 1718 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 3 May 2011
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This Budget makes provision to ensure specialist transport services are more affordable and accessible for people with disabilities. The number of taxi vouchers and the subsidies per trip for people with disabilities are increased, with over $2.3 million allocated over four years.
A centralised wheelchair accessible taxi booking service will be introduced and incentives will be implemented for improved services for people with disabilities with $2.2 million in funding over four years.
In recognition that the rising costs of energy and water are placing pressure on low income households, this Budget provides for a significant boost to utility concessions in the order of $131 per annum.
Further practical help is being provided to low income households to reduce costs by increasing their energy and water efficiency with around $4.4 million provided over four years. This Budget funds further retrofitting of older public housing properties to improve their energy efficiency. This will assist in reducing tenants’ utility costs, with $8 million over four years allocated.
People on low incomes will now be able to access a Legal Aid Commission Help Desk to help resolve their legal problems, with funding of around $1.7 million over four years provided.
Mr Speaker, the task of supporting children and young people at risk is not an easy one. This Budget provides additional assistance for those children and young people who live in foster or kinship care, with funding of $2.2 million over four years provided.
Kinship carers now form around half of all carers of children in out of home care and are further supported with funding of $1.7 million over four years.
Young people who are transitioning from out of home care to independent living, are being provided with the additional assistance of $2.1 million over four years.
Young people at risk need to be diverted from the justice system if their lives are to improve. The Government is providing supplementary funding of $5.5 million over four years for the Bimberi Youth Justice Centre to increase funding for staffing, program and security.
This funding includes further support to assist young people minimise their involvement in the justice system and improve responses for those at risk of remand.
Funding of $1.9 million over four years is allocated to the Office for Multicultural Affairs and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs to strengthen support for Indigenous Canberrans and people from a range of diverse cultures. This includes funding to enhance the Multicultural Festival and the Work Experience Support Program.
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