E&OE TRANSCRIPT
Topics: Creating a more ‘Accessible Australia’ for people with disability; National Disability Insurance Scheme.
CHARLIE MCKILLOP, HOST: When the temperatures escalate to the point where they have recently, the joys of living in Far North Queensland, being able to head down to one of our many tropical beaches, dip our toes in the water and cool off, well, that is not the reality for many people living in our community with a disability. But the Government is trying to do something about that. It has a new initiative that's all about trying to increase accessibility of many places that are meant for our enjoyment and relaxation. But for a large section of the community, they remain off limits. The Minister for Social Services and the National Disability Insurance Scheme, Amanda Rishworth, is with us in Cairns today. Minister, good morning.
AMANDA RISHWORTH, MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES: Great to be with you.
CHARLIE MCKILLOP: How important is the initiative that you're announcing today for people in our community?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: The initiative we're announcing is so important. What we're announcing is funding to go through state governments, to local councils or other organisations to make the natural environment more accessible. People with disability, whether that be in wheelchairs or have other disability, often can't access, for example, national parks. They can't get down to the beach. They may not be able to go to a festival or community event because there isn't an accessible place to go to the toilet, for example. So, the funding that we're providing is really looking at how we get more of these spaces more accessible. Just as an example, close to 90 per cent of Australians live within 50 kilometres of a beach. But according to the registered charity Accessible Beaches Australia, only 2 per cent of our 12,000 beaches are actually accessible. So, we really want to open up our natural spaces and ensure that people with disability actually get the opportunity. So, this initiative also will look at, for example, funding all terrain wheelchairs, so people that may need a wheelchair could explore our national parks as well as beach wheelchairs, which means they can actually get in the water.
CHARLIE MCKILLOP: So, up until now, the burden of responsibility for improving this situation on 2 per cent of our public areas accessible to disability, that has fallen on local government, is that right? How much good will $17 million do to reverse that, to open up such a large area that remains off limits?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: It’s often actually fallen to philanthropic organisations and local councils that have done this work. But we're hoping with the Federal Government money, that we will be able to open really about 350 new accessible spaces to allow more accessibility. But of course, we want to partner also with state and territory governments to maximise the ability of this program. So, for some of these spaces, what we will be asking for is potentially matched funding from state and territory governments so that we can get more spaces accessible. But we're hoping this will contribute to about 350 extra spaces in our natural environment open for people with disability.
CHARLIE MCKILLOP: You are hearing from Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth in Cairns today to announce some really important funding that will increase accessibility to some of the most, well, some of the most sought-after experiences. We know that people come from around the world to be able to experience our beaches and our national parks across Far North Queensland. Amanda Rishworth, the bigger issue in your portfolio is of course, the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Leading up to a Federal election, when we have had a review of the scheme and so much controversy about whether or not the money, and there has been a lot of money invested in the scheme is getting through to the people who need it most. What are you hearing as you move around communities, regional communities like Far North Queensland?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: It is a really, really important question and what I'm hearing is a couple of things. Firstly, we want to make sure we stamp out fraud and that's why the previous Minister set up a taskforce to specifically make sure that service providers, and there's a lot of good service providers, but others were taking advantage of participants. But we also need to see equal coverage across Australia. We know that rural and regional places, often there are thin markets, people can't always access services and also participants don't always have equality when it comes to their plans. So, making the plans more equitable, more fair, and making sure there's transparency, along with making sure that there's services in rural and regional areas, is a real focus of mine.
CHARLIE MCKILLOP: That's the aspiration. But Minister, is life with a disability getting any easier, any better?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: The National Disability Insurance Scheme has changed the lives of people. You speak with people and they get perhaps the equipment or the personal care that they just didn't get before the National Disability Insurance Scheme. So, yes, I would say that when I speak with people, the National Disability Insurance Scheme has absolutely transformed people's lives. But we can always do better, we can always make it better. And that's where we're going through the process in the next 6 months to introduce a new planning framework to clearly identify the needs of people with disability and how do they get that extra support. And that's particularly important in rural and regional areas where often there may not be as much choice. But certainly, the National Disability Insurance Scheme has changed people's lives, but we want to make it the best it can be.
CHARLIE MCKILLOP: Amanda Rishworth, thanks for your time on Breakfast today.
AMANDA RISHWORTH: Thank you.