$86.9 million investment in Victoria’s disability services

Reform of Victoria’s disability services will continue with the Brumby Labor Government’s $86.9 million investment in the 2009 State Budget to focus on flexible, personalised support for Victorians with a disability.

The Minister for Community Services, Lisa Neville, said the $86.9 million boost would help Victorians with a disability participate more fully in their communities.

“The Brumby Labor Government’s 2009 State Budget builds on our strong record of investment in social services to provide a social safety net for Victorians,” Ms Neville said.

“The Brumby Labor Government is taking action on disability services to support Victorian families in tough global times and for the future.”

Major elements of the funding package in the 2009 State Budget include:

• $59.1 million for the Disability Reform program to help Victorians with a disability live independent and fulfilling lives by giving individuals a choice of services and how they live in the community. The funding includes $30 million to provide additional individual support packages; $16.6 million to help young people with a disability to find a job or access further education; and $12.5 million to build the capacity of community service organisations providing disability services;
• $13.8 million for Stage Two of the My Future, My Choice program – a joint Commonwealth/State initiative to build specialised accommodation facilities for younger Victorians with a range of disabilities such as acquired brain injury, neurological conditions, or spinal cord injury, who are living in aged care facilities;
• $9 million for reforming early childhood intervention and ongoing support services for children and young people with disabilities or developmental delay. This will deliver new early childhood intervention quality assurance framework program standards and workforce strategy improving access to services and assessment; and
• $5 million for the redevelopment of community facilities to improve access for Victorians with a disability, by co-locating with community facilities to encourage greater social inclusion.

This includes $4 million in 2008-09 to assist disability services agencies to address cost pressures, upgrade infrastructure and develop business systems.

“This additional $86.9 million comes on top of last year’s landmark $233.4 million record State Budget investment in Victoria’s disability services,’’ Ms Neville said.

“Of this, $41.6 million will roll out in 2009-10, on top of a further $21.5 million in 2009-10 of funding through the Brumby Labor Government’s agreement with the Rudd Federal Government on disability services.

“When added to the $13.9 million being delivered in this budget, this means an additional $77 million of funding for disability support in 2009-10 alone.”