Page 2954 - Week 08 - Thursday, 17 August 2017
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The groups that were previously funded under Disability ACT did not choose to be funded under that particular budget line item; it was a decision made by the government. The ad hoc history of funding and responsibility for SHOUT shows a clear lack of responsibility, shunted from disability to health and back again. Perhaps it was just bad luck that they fell into the disability category at the time of transitioning to the NDIS. Perhaps if they had been funded under health they would not have been forced to seek a lifeline from the government earlier this year, to which the government responded with a one-off $70,000 on the condition that it is to be used to deliver a “sustainable business model”—in other words, a model that lets the government off the hook on funding.
A recommendation of the estimates report, one that I am pleased to see the government has agreed to, is that the minister:
… work with other relevant directorates to develop a clear strategy to ensure ongoing support for community groups in the allied health and disability sectors who are unable to access funds under the National Disability Insurance Scheme framework, but who nevertheless provide valuable services to the disabled and wider ACT community and have done so for many years.
I will be keeping close scrutiny on the government to ensure that they do, indeed, deliver on this commitment and to ensure that it does ensure ongoing support for these local community groups.
The ACT government recognised that there was a need for transitional funding for a number of groups, both directly related to disability and also on the periphery, and lobbied the federal government to provide funds through the ILC grants. Of course, not all groups were successful. Unsuccessful applicants were given no feedback by the NDIA; there is little prospect of them being successful in future applications if they do not know where they failed.
The government has chosen to only note recommendation 123 in the estimates report:
… that the ACT Government write to the National Disability Insurance Agency and request that feedback be provided to unsuccessful ACT applicants for Information Linkages and Capacity building grants.
Ms Stephen-Smith: Because we have already done it.
MS LEE: That is good to hear. Thank you for confirming that, minister. I note that. If you could send me a copy of that, it would be great because all we know on the record is that you were only noting it. So that is good. I do note, however, that the minister says in the government response to the estimates committee:
The ACT Government will continue to work with the Commonwealth to ensure that important and valued community supports and investments are not lost.
I do hope so.
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