Billion dollar budget for Disability Services Queensland

Disability Services Queensland (DSQ) has received its first billion dollar budget, the largest allocation ever provided to the department.

Disability Services Minister Warren Pitt said the DSQ budget for 2007–08 of $1,082 million included:
• $717 million for disability services
• $348.5 million for Home and Community Care (HACC)
• $16.5 million for mental health services.

Mr Pitt said while the DSQ budget had been boosted by the transfer of HACC and mental health services to the department under machinery-of-government changes, he was extremely pleased that the allocation provided to the disability sector continued the recent trend of rapid growth.

“When compared with last year, the disability services component is approximately $717 million, a 13.1 per cent increase,” he said.

“This government has established a strong trend of rapid growth in funding.

“The state-funded disability services component of DSQ’s budget has increased by 371 per cent in 10 years, and more than 18,000 people now receive government-funded services.

“With demand steadily growing, we are looking forward and building our capacity.
Accordingly, this budget has a strong focus on service delivery, infrastructure development and innovation as a way of contributing to a better quality of life for people with a disability.”

Mr Pitt also announced funding to support initiatives to ensure that people with an intellectual disability who displayed severely challenging behaviours had every possible opportunity to live and participate in the community.

“We will establish a centre of excellence, construct purpose-built accommodation and recruit 188 frontline staff to provide specialist response services throughout the state to care for people with a disability who have violent temperaments,” he said.

“Our ability to honour our duty of care to each person and the wider community will be greatly improved with the establishment of rapid response teams that will include psychiatric nurses, psychologists and disability specialists.”

Mr Pitt said DSQ would also improve the way its services were accessed.

“Person-to-person needs assessment, individual prioritisation and changes to improve responsiveness are now being planned,” he said.

“New accommodation and day services will be provided for people with high and complex support needs, and respite support will be expanded.

“Home and Community Care’s budget will grow by more than 11 per cent to enable increased levels of domestic assistance, social support, personal care, home maintenance and nursing services to be provided,” he said.

Media contact: Minister Pitt’s Office 3235 4280