Agreement on accommodating children at Sir David Brand Centre

29/3/95

Disability Services Minister Kevin Minson said today an agreement had been reached between the Disability Services Commission (DSC) and the Cerebral Palsy Association to continue accommodating seven children at the Sir David Brand Centre.

Mr Minson said the children would, under ordinary circumstances, have been due to move from the Association's centre to adult accommodation on reaching the age of 18.

"However, the shortage of adult accommodation at the association for the children to move to means their carers would have to find alternative accommodation," Mr Minson said.

"In some cases this may mean the load would fall back on the parents.

"Because of the extreme hardship which would be faced by parents taking on full-time care of the children, the DSC has agreed to bridge the funding needed to continue accommodating them at the Sir David Brand Centre.

"The association has agreed to allow them to remain at the centre past the age of 18, until alternative arrangements are made.

"This situation will continue until after the next funding round due to follow this year's State Budget, when their needs will be considered in line with the needs of all others requiring full or part-time accommodation."

Mr Minson said Commonwealth funding of $3.75 million held in a trust fund for accommodation purposes had been fully allocated.

"The situation is very different from that being portrayed at present," he said.

"Up until recently the funding was tied under Commonwealth regulations and we were severely restricted in what we could spend it on.

"However, that situation has changed and we have been able to allocate the money to both private sector agencies and facilities under the DSC for a number of purposes including building maintenance and the purchase of purpose-built vehicles for people with disabilities.

"This information has been passed to the Federal Health Minister."

Mr Minson said he had also been successful in obtaining a meeting with Dr Lawrence.

"We are due to meet in early April and I am looking forward to an opportunity to fully discuss the situation in Western Australia, the plans being put in place at a State level to deal with the present accommodation crisis and the need for additional Commonwealth funding to assist with those plans," the Minister said.

"I do not believe this is a situation in which either side can indulge in political point-scoring and I intend to co-operate fully with Dr Lawrence to resolve this untenable position."

Mr Minson said it was vital Dr Lawrence understood that the situation in WA had reached flashpoint and required urgent attention.

"The State Government has announced over the past week a number of measures to begin addressing the problem including the implementation of the recommendations contained in the Stanton Report," he said.

Media contact: Caroline Lacy  222 9595 or 325 8655