Report findings reflect favourably on disability services in WA

12/2/98

State Government services to people with disabilities in Western Australia have been given a tick of approval in a national review.

A report on Government services, released today by the Council of Australian Governments, examined the performance of each State and Territory in the areas of education, health, justice, emergency management, community services and housing.

Disability Services Minister Paul Omodei said the report findings reflected favourably on disability services in WA.

"This report reinforces the fact that the State Government, through the Disability Services Commission, has made significant headway in addressing a backlog of previously unmet need in this area," Mr Omodei said.

"Through the 'Count Us In' strategy, the State Government has committed an additional $125 million over five years for disability services to 2001, and early benefits flowing from this increase in funding are now beginning to be felt by the community."

Mr Omodei said WA's s key highlights included:

·      the highest rate of access to accommodation services by Aboriginal people in the country;

·      the second highest rate of access to accommodation services by people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds;

·      the lowest cost to taxpayers, at $43,405, for each Government-provided community accommodation place, consistently the lowest in the nation over the past three years; and -

·      administration costs for disability services (7.2 per cent), well below the national average of 8.6 per cent.

Mr Omodei said the report also indicated that WA had the second largest increase (18 per cent) in the cost of Government-provided institutional care places.

"This figure is misleading, as the perceived increase is a direct result of increased Government spending during the redevelopment of services from large institutions to more efficient but more personalised models of accommodation, and will have only a short-term impact," he said.

Mr Omodei said that while disability services in WA received a positive endorsement from the report, he had reservations about the differing standards of data that underpinned the report s performance indicators.

"These differences place major limitations on valid comparisons that can be made at this stage, both between States and on the interpretation of trends over time," the Minister said.

"It is reassuring to know that WA's services are well received nationally, but I question the value of making comparisons on the levels of service from State to State when there is no consistency in the available information."

Media contact: Hugh Ryan 9366 0200