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Longreach Residents Urged to have Say on Future for People with Disability
Information provided by Queensland Disability News - Published: 2010-09-24
Disability Services Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk is urging the Longreach community to have its say on the draft 10 Year Plan for Supporting Queenslanders with a Disability at a Shared Visions regional forum at Longreach Civic and Cultural Centre.
Ms Palaszczuk said the plan aimed to create a truly inclusive Queensland where people living with a disability enjoyed the same opportunities and benefits as the rest of the community.
“The 10 year plan proposes 10 priorities and strategies to improve access to transport, education, health care, housing, employment, social, arts, sports and recreational pursuits,” she said.
“The draft plan has been released for consultation and I encourage all sectors of the community to provide feedback.
“There will be Shared Visions regional forums held throughout the state in order to give Queenslanders an opportunity to have their say.”
Consultations on the draft 10 Year Plan for Supporting Queenslanders with a Disability are being held at 20 locations across major cities and regional and rural centres including Brisbane, Townsville, Thursday Island, Cairns, Maryborough and the Gold and Sunshine Coasts.
Ms Palaszczuk said the forum gave local residents a chance to contribute to a plan which aimed to create a more inclusive community.
“We need to work together to achieve this vision – people with a disability are valued members of our community and we need to ensure they are able to fully participate and contribute to society,” she said.
“The Bligh government is committed to improving the quality of life of people living with a disability.
“We made the tough decisions so we could continue to invest in better services for Queenslanders – and that’s exactly what we’re doing.
“We’re investing $1.61 billion in disability and community care services in 2010-11, up from $1.4 billion last financial year.
This year’s State Budget includes:
·$1.054 billion for Disability Services
·$528.7 million for Home and Community Care ( HACC )
·$28.6 million for Community Mental Health Services
The budget for disability services will deliver an extra $72.5 million in funding over the next four years, including an extra $12.5 million in 2010-11.
The extra $12.5 million in 2010-11 will provide an extra:
·$4.4 million to support young people with a disability leaving school;
·$3.2 million to support people with spinal cord injuries;
·$2.9 million for early intervention and support services for the families of children with a disability;
·$1 million for the Community Living Initiative, to help people with a disability to live independently in the community;
·$1 million to create new autism early intervention centres in Bundaberg and Mackay.
The Longreach Shared Visions Forum will be held on Thursday 23 September at the Longreach Civic and Cultural Centre.
To view the consultation paper, visit the Disability and Community Care Services website at www.disability.qld.gov.au
- This web page is from the Disabled World Queensland section which provides: Disability news articles stories including recent medical and health updates from Queensland Australia.
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