PWD E-Bulletin |
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Issue 43, June 2007
Welcome to PWD’s e-bulletin. The e-bulletin goes out to members and interested others regularly by email. For members who do not have access to email, a printed version of the e-bulletin will be sent by post. To be added to or removed from our mailing list, or to change your email address, please contact Allyson Campbell at PWD on email pwd@pwd.org.au or on one of the numbers listed at the end of this bulletin.
Contents
New South Wales newsOther state and territory newsNational newsInternational newsThe inside storyNew publications and resourcesConferences and eventsAbout PWDPrivacy statement |
NSW news++NSW State Budget 2007-08On Tuesday 19 June 2007, the NSW Government delivered its budget for the financial year 2007-08. In addition to presenting the budget in its entirety in Parliament, Government departments conducted briefings on their own budgets. Of particular significance to people with disability in NSW are the Government’s announcements on spending in the areas of disability services, equipment, aids and transport.Department of Ageing, Disability & Home Care (DADHC) 2007-08 budgetIn announcing spending for 2007-08, DADHC re-affirmed its commitment to the ten-year Stronger Together plan, as released last year. DADHC’s total expenses in 2007-08 will be $1.9 billion, an increase of $136.1 million from the 2006-07 budget. Amongst the items announced by DADHC were the following:
PWD is pleased to see DADHC’s attempts to redress the gap in demand for services such as day programs, respite places and supported accommodation. It is also pleasing to note DADHC’s commitment to providing support to non-government organisations in the form of training for workers. PWD also commends the commitment to inter-departmental collaboration to attempt to meet the wide variety of the needs of people with disability, such as housing. But these spending measures, and the others contained in the budget, are nominal at best. There is still a chronic and critical unmet need that demands urgent and significant attention. Demand for services such as supported accommodation is increasing at an exponential rate. The DADHC budgetary measures for 2007-08 fall a great deal below these growth rates. Of utmost concern to PWD are DADHC’s plans for capital expenditure on re-development of existing institutions, namely Grosvenor, Lachlan and Peat Island. These re-development plans are in direct contradiction to the NSW Government’s commitment, made in 1995, to move people from institutions into supported accommodation in the wider community. PWD views these re-development plans as a regressive step and as contrary to international policy and practice for the human rights of people with disability. It should be noted that the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities specifically enshrines the rights of people with disability to live independently and be included in the community. The Australian Government demonstrated its commitment to international policy and procedure by signing up to the Convention on 31 March 2007. PWD is extremely concerned to see the NSW Government taking steps that violate these human rights of people with disability.
Other State Budget measuresProgramme of Appliances for Disabled People (PADP)At the time of writing, PWD was unable to determine if there has been an increase in the PADP budget for 2007-08. PWD has been informed that there will not be an increase in this budget item until the Minister for Disability Services has finalised the report of the statewide review.Taxi Transport Subsidy Scheme (TTSS)In 2007-08 there is a real increase, of approximately 10%, in allocation for the TTSS. PWD will be following this matter closely. The taxi industry has applied for major increases in fares. If this is granted there will be a need for the subsidy to similarly be increased. The last time the subsidy was increased was in 1999.Rail AccessThe NSW Government has announced that easy access rail station upgrades will commence at Lindfield, Newtown and St James stations.Further information on the NSW State BudgetFor a broader analysis of the State Budget, click on this link: www.ncoss.org.au/hot/budget2007/budget2007.htmlFor copies and further information on the State Budget, click on this link: www.treasury.nsw.gov.au/bp07-08/bpapers.htm For further information contact Alastair McEwin, Chief Executive Officer, PWD. ++Expressions of interest sought for appointment to the Disability Council of NSWThe Minister for Disability Services, the Hon Kristina Keneally MP, is receiving nominations for membership of the Disability Council for a term of up to four years.The Disability Council of NSW is the official adviser to the NSW Government on issues affecting people with disability and their families. The Council is also the NSW Disability Advisory Council to the Commonwealth Government. Appointment to the Council will be made on the basis that the applicant can demonstrate:
The Disability Council includes people with psychiatric, intellectual, and physical disability; acquired brain injury; deafness; hearing impairment; blindness or vision impairment; and other disability types. It also includes family members and people with particular expertise in the area of disability. In putting forward a nomination, you should be aware that Council Members are appointed for their individual experience and expertise and not as representatives of any particular interest group or organisation. The Disability Council highly values cultural and linguistic diversity. We strongly welcome applications from people with disability from diverse backgrounds, from Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander communities and from regional or rural NSW. The Council usually meets monthly. Members receive attendance fees and out of pocket expenses for approved participation. If you wish to receive an application pack or seek further information on Council Membership, please contact Dougie Herd, by any of the following means:
++Housing for seniors and people with disabilityIn NSW the State Government has a State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) that is meant to meet the ongoing challenge of providing sufficient housing for seniors and people with a disability. This is known as Seniors Living SEPP.Recently the Minister announced a series of amendments to this policy and invited comments. PWD’s submission addressed the need to take a more holistic approach by applying Universal Housing Design principles for all newly built housing. The submission also discussed how this approach would assist the community to adequately house people in the future.For further information please contact Digby Hughes at PWD. |
Other states and territory news |
National news |
International newsReturn to top |
The inside story++NSW Minister visits PWD, 29 JuneThe Minister for Disability Services, the Hon Kristina Keneally MP, met with PWD Board representatives and senior managers at PWD offices on Friday, 29 June. The following issues were discussed at the meeting:
++PWD Federal Election Forum, 28 JunePWD members, representatives from the disability sector and community members had an opportunity to meet with politicians and direct questions to them about disability policy and service provision at the Mercure Hotel.Politicans attending were:
Each of the politicians addressed problems with the current CSTDA arrangements, the negative consequences of Welfare to Work for people with disability seeking employment, and the need for ongoing funding of advocacy as an essential component of democracy. Senator Jan McLucas emphasised the need for renegotiation of the Commonwealth States and Territories Disability Agreement (CSTDA) to enable appropriate funding models and efficient delivery of services to Australians with disability and their families. Senator McLucas criticised Welfare to Work as a backward step for people with disability seeking employment, and promised that a Labor Government would put in place a disability employment strategy that actively supports people with disability to realise their training and employment goals. She also spoke emphatically about the Howard Government’s decrease of advocacy funding and the critical role of systemic advocacy Senator Rachel Siewert discussed Greens policy as it related to the social model of disability, and the expression of human rights for people with disability in terms of access and inclusion. David Havyatt expressed the need for a robust Senate and the role of the smaller parties in providing a site for critical debate and accountability. PWD’s 12-point National Agenda for Disability – Election 2007 Exposure Draft will be available from the PWD website. Questions from the floor addressed issues such as: dental health care for people with intellectual disability; young people in nursing homes; accessible voting; provision of accommodation and respite services; enhanced role of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission; ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. ++PWD services for Sydney public holiday, 7 SeptemberAsia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) leaders will be meeting in Sydney, 2-9 September 2007. Friday 7 September has been announced as a public holiday in the Sydney CBD. PWD will be closed on this day, but the Hotline and CRRS will continue to provide a limited intake service. Return to top |
Publications and resourcesReturn to top |
Conferences and events++ 9 July 2007Care Costs – A Concern for All, 6pm at The American Club, Level 15, 131 Macquarie Street, Sydney.Join Business and Professional Women (BPW) Sydney for a free public forum to discuss the costs of care and what should be done to make this more affordable. You will need to register by 5pm on 6 July 2007 online bookings are essential, to register go to: www.bpw.com.au For all enquiries contact Tina Clark by email: tinclark@gmail.com (M) 0403 543 674 or Sandra D’Souza by email: sandradsouza@bigpond.com.au (M) 0430 012 289.++20 July 2007The '67 Referendum - Forty years onThe Indigenous Law Centre is hosting a one-day conference to mark the occasion of the fortieth anniversary of the 1967 Referendum, to consider developments since that time and look to the future. The conference will be held in Sydney on Friday 20 July. For more information about this conference or the Indigenous Law Centre, please contact Denise Lester at denise.lester@unsw.edu.au or (02) 9385 9623.++23-25 July 2007An inaugural international conference, ‘Children & Young People are Key Stakeholders: Values, Vision & Innovation’, will be held in Perth on 23-25 July 2007. Three organisations came together to create this conference: the Centre for Vulnerable Children and Families WA, Mercy Care WA and Wanslea Family Services WA.They are supported by the WA Department for Community Development, Office of Children and Youth and the Department of Education and Training’s Care and Protection Division. The conference purpose is to contribute significantly to the understanding of children, young people and their families in the community. For more information, go to www.caypaks.com++ 25 July 2007NSW Ombudsman are holding a special forum on NSW Ombudsman's role in government and disability services, NSW Ombudsman, Community Services Division Help for electricity, water and gas customers, Electricity and Water Ombudsman NSW.9:30am - 12:30pm, at The Northcott Function Centre, 1 Fennell St, North Parramatta The forum is free of charge but registration is essential for catering purposes.To register please contact Anna Ciliegi via email: aciliegi@ombo.nsw.gov.au by 23 July. For all enquiries please contact Carolyn Campbell-McLean (02) 9286 1028 or by email: ccampbell-mclean@ombo.nsw.gov.au ++30-31 July 2007National Disability Services Employment Forum to be held at the Hilton Hotel Sydney, 488 George Street, Sydney.The conference will provide multiple streams to reflect the diverse interests of participants and cater for both Disability Employment Network providers and Disability Business Services and for both mangers and support staff. Please follow this link for further information about the forum, www.nds.org.au/conferences/EF2007/program.pdf ++1 August 2007Flight to the Future: Towards 2017 - NCOSS Sector Development Conference, NSW Teachers Federation Auditorium, Surry Hills. This major sector development conference is a ‘Big Picture Day’ designed to enable us to anticipate and build the sort of sector we will need by the year 2017. For further details including registration got to: www.ncoss.org.au/conferences++12-14 September 2007Australian Association of Developmental Disability Medicine Conference 2007, Adelaide Holiday Inn, Adelaide.This conference will be for everyone with an interest in the health of people with developmental disability, health research, practice and ethics. Please follow this link for further information about the conference, http://www.ncoss.org.au/mail/email-promotion-april-07 or visit the conference website via the link below.www.plevin.com.au/AADDM2007 ++26 – 27 September 2007Arts Activated Conference: Leading Examples of inclusion of People with Disabilities in the Arts Sydney Conservatorium of Music.Don’t miss out on the Arts Activated Conference, the first of its kind to be held in NSW. It’s being organised by Accessible Arts, the peak arts and disability organisation across New South Wales, in partnership with the Spastic Centre. The Arts Activated Conference in 2007 will be a celebration for all those passionate about people with disabilities and their active inclusion and participation in the arts. It will be an opportunity to participate in seminars and practical workshops in dance, theatre, visual arts, audience development and community cultural development and to acknowledge, share and network with other practitioners and administrators. Come and be inspired by innovative and groundbreaking programs, ideas and facilitators all in the beautiful surroundings of the Sydney Conservatorium. These are just some of the sessions on offer so for more information, a registration form and a detailed program of seminars and workshops go to: thespasticcentre.com.au/artsactivated/ and phone Accessible Arts 02 9251 6499.++18 & 19 October 2007Public Interest Advocacy Conference, Wesley Centre, Sydney.This year is the 25th Anniversary of the establishment of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC). To mark the occasion PIAC is holding a conference that will focus on the development of public interest advocacy in Australia and its future direction and challenges. The conference is being held in Sydney on 18 and 19 October 2007 and will include a celebratory dinner. Further details will follow soon. For more information or to ensure you receive a program and registration details as they become available, please send an e-mail to conference@piac.asn.au++25 & 26 October 2007The Odyssey…a journey of enrichment and possibility, at the Mercure Hotel, 818-820 George Street, Sydney.Family advocacy’s first national conference will provide an exciting opportunity to hear of real experiences and examples from an impressive array of inspirational local, national and international speakers. You will also have the opportunity to meet with the speakers and other people attending the conference to share ideas and experiences, both informally and at an optional social event on the evening of 25 October. For more information about the speakers and conference topics you can contact Family Advocacy by email: conference@family-advocacy.com or phone: (02) 9869 0866 or 1800 620 588. |
PWD's training services
++PWD's training servicesPWD has extensive experience in the development and delivery of professional training across a wide range of disability areas, including:
Training packages developed are flexible and tailor-made to meet the needs of the particular organisation. To find out more about PWD's training services or to discuss your specific training needs, contact Manager, Information & Education, Kathryn Knight or Ph 02 9370 3100. |
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Allyson Campbell, PWD. This newsletter contains links to websites. We cannot be held responsible for the privacy practices (or lack thereof) or the content of such websites. |
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