Media Releases

Tuesday, 26 July 2011

Nationals MP for Northern Victoria Region Damian Drum will today officially announce $100,000 funding towards a training program to help people with a disability develop employment skills.

The program, ‘6 Steps to Employment Model’ will be run by education provider, Continuing Education Bendigo (CEB), in partnership with Radius Disability Services.

Mr Drum, a long-term campaigner for people living with disabilities, will make the announcement on behalf of Higher Education and Skills Minister Peter Hall.

Mr Drum said the funding would go to develop a trade assistants training program to assist young students with a disability move from supported to open employment.

“The State Government is committed to removing barriers to education access and attainment for all Victorians, particularly hard to reach learners, including people with a disability, Mr Drum said.

"This project provides us with another great example of how Victoria's registered training organisations, like CEB, are building partnerships with community organisations such as Radius Disability Services, to help engage and support people with a disability.

Established in 1953, Radius Disability Services provides day programs and supported employment services to people with a disability. Today, it operates six distinct business units and has grown to become central Victoria's longest-established provider of services and opportunities to people with a disability.

“I commend CEB and Radius Disability Services in coming together to work on this exciting new program,” Mr Drum said.

“By drawing on their shared experiences in education and community services, this partnership will help people with a disability gain the skills they need for a brighter future.”

The ‘6 Steps to Employment Model’ program will help students move from supported to open employment through the Certificate 1 in Manufacturing Pathways and Certificate 1 in Work Education.

This project is one of six grant recipients funded through Skills Victoria’s $600,000 Access and Equity program. The grants support innovative projects that help improve access to training opportunities for all Victorians.

Nationals MP for Northern Victoria Region Damian Drum has congratulated the Castlemaine community on its major progress towards a specialised respite and community centre for people with disabilities.
Mr Drum said the new Coalition State Government would include a promised $300,000 contribution towards the long-awaited project in next month’s State Budget.
Mr Drum chaired a forum in Castlemaine this week, which involved about 20 major stakeholders in the project, including the Mount Alexander Shire Accommodation and Respite Group (MASARG), the Castlemaine Lions Club, Department of Human Services, health agencies and others.
“I have been aware for some time that this has been a long-held ambition by the Castlemaine community and I am delighted that the Coalition Government has been able to partner the project,” he said.
“The planned centre will go a long way towards making life for families with special needs just that little bit easier.
“I look forward to working closely with the community to see that this project comes to fruition as quickly as possible.
“Over the past few years some of these families have been vigorous in keeping me informed of the issues and of their hopes that the State Government would help them achieve this much-needed respite/community house.”
Mr Drum said the commitment was a Coalition promise in the election campaign, and the Coalition had repeatedly assured the community that its promises would be fulfilled.

Wasted billions threaten fair deal for people with disabilities: Drum

Nationals MP for Northern Victoria, Damian Drum, has applauded the Coalition State Government for committing its efforts to get the National Disability Insurance Scheme up and running.
The State Government has set up a new expert taskforce to advise on establishing the NDIS.
Mr Drum, a veteran campaigner for the rights of people with disabilities, said the NDIS offered a more sustainable and dignified future for people with disabilities, their carers and their families.
He congratulated Premier Ted Baillieu and Community Services Minister Mary Wooldridge for acting on their election commitment so swiftly.
But in an address to State Parliament, he warned that what could derail NDIS plans were the billions of dollars wasted on mismanaged Labor state and federal projects.
“The NDIS will be an expensive scheme, and we will need to put all the money we possibly can into it.
“But what will really hurt will be looking back and seeing the amount of money wasted in schemes such as the Building the Education Revolution, the North South pipeline, the desalination plant, myki and Smart meters.
“All that wasted money could have been better used for a National Disability Insurance Scheme,” he told Parliament.
An inquiry into Federal Labor’s $16billion BER scheme had shown that at least $2 billion had been wasted. Another $2.5 billion had been squandered on the bungled roof insulation scheme. About $1.5 billion had been wasted so far on mismanaged water buy-backs. Victoria’s desalination plan could end up costing taxpayers $24 billion. The myki fiasco which was to have cost $350 million has passed $1.4 billion. The Smart metre scheme has already blown-out by more than $500 million. The pointless North-South pipeline had swallowed at least $750 million. The State Health IT system was $260 million over budget. And another $500 million loss had been revealed in the mismanaged Victorian Funds Management Corporation’s failed investment in US life insurance policies.
“These are just some of the outrageous muck-up Labor has forced on people in recent times.
“Without taking any others we might not yet know full details about, the waste totals almost $30 billion dollars.
“You could set up a magnificent NDIS with that sort of money,” he said.
Wasted billions threaten fair deal for people with disabilities: Drum

Nationals MP for Northern Victoria, Damian Drum, has applauded the Coalition State Government for committing its efforts to get the National Disability Insurance Scheme up and running.
The State Government has set up a new expert taskforce to advise on establishing the NDIS.
Mr Drum, a veteran campaigner for the rights of people with disabilities, said the NDIS offered a more sustainable and dignified future for people with disabilities, their carers and their families.
He congratulated Premier Ted Baillieu and Community Services Minister Mary Wooldridge for acting on their election commitment so swiftly.
But in an address to State Parliament, he warned that what could derail NDIS plans were the billions of dollars wasted on mismanaged Labor state and federal projects.
“The NDIS will be an expensive scheme, and we will need to put all the money we possibly can into it.
“But what will really hurt will be looking back and seeing the amount of money wasted in schemes such as the Building the Education Revolution, the North South pipeline, the desalination plant, myki and Smart meters.
“All that wasted money could have been better used for a National Disability Insurance Scheme,” he told Parliament.
An inquiry into Federal Labor’s $16billion BER scheme had shown that at least $2 billion had been wasted. Another $2.5 billion had been squandered on the bungled roof insulation scheme. About $1.5 billion had been wasted so far on mismanaged water buy-backs. Victoria’s desalination plan could end up costing taxpayers $24 billion. The myki fiasco which was to have cost $350 million has passed $1.4 billion. The Smart metre scheme has already blown-out by more than $500 million. The pointless North-South pipeline had swallowed at least $750 million. The State Health IT system was $260 million over budget. And another $500 million loss had been revealed in the mismanaged Victorian Funds Management Corporation’s failed investment in US life insurance policies.
“These are just some of the outrageous muck-up Labor has forced on people in recent times.
“Without taking any others we might not yet know full details about, the waste totals almost $30 billion dollars.
“You could set up a magnificent NDIS with that sort of money,” he said.
Wasted billions threaten fair deal for people with disabilities: Drum

Nationals MP for Northern Victoria, Damian Drum, has applauded the Coalition State Government for committing its efforts to get the National Disability Insurance Scheme up and running.
The State Government has set up a new expert taskforce to advise on establishing the NDIS.
Mr Drum, a veteran campaigner for the rights of people with disabilities, said the NDIS offered a more sustainable and dignified future for people with disabilities, their carers and their families.
He congratulated Premier Ted Baillieu and Community Services Minister Mary Wooldridge for acting on their election commitment so swiftly.
But in an address to State Parliament, he warned that what could derail NDIS plans were the billions of dollars wasted on mismanaged Labor state and federal projects.
“The NDIS will be an expensive scheme, and we will need to put all the money we possibly can into it.
“But what will really hurt will be looking back and seeing the amount of money wasted in schemes such as the Building the Education Revolution, the North South pipeline, the desalination plant, myki and Smart meters.
“All that wasted money could have been better used for a National Disability Insurance Scheme,” he told Parliament.
An inquiry into Federal Labor’s $16billion BER scheme had shown that at least $2 billion had been wasted. Another $2.5 billion had been squandered on the bungled roof insulation scheme. About $1.5 billion had been wasted so far on mismanaged water buy-backs. Victoria’s desalination plan could end up costing taxpayers $24 billion. The myki fiasco which was to have cost $350 million has passed $1.4 billion. The Smart metre scheme has already blown-out by more than $500 million. The pointless North-South pipeline had swallowed at least $750 million. The State Health IT system was $260 million over budget. And another $500 million loss had been revealed in the mismanaged Victorian Funds Management Corporation’s failed investment in US life insurance policies.
“These are just some of the outrageous muck-up Labor has forced on people in recent times.
“Without taking any others we might not yet know full details about, the waste totals almost $30 billion dollars.
“You could set up a magnificent NDIS with that sort of money,” he said.

Disability Insurance will restore dignity: Drum
Long-time campaigner for a better deal for the people with disabilities, Nationals MP Damian Drum has applauded a move by the Coalition to push for a new National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) to provide lifetime support for people with a disability.

An NDIS will replace the current system which rations disability services and introduce a no-fault universal insurance safety net – similar to those operated by the Transport Accident Commission and WorkSafe – for people with permanent or severe disabilities.
“At present, the people with disabilities, their carers and their families are forced to constantly jump through bureaucratic hoops, virtually begging for every scrap of government help they can find.
“The constant desperate search for support is, in many cases, one of the worst aspects of coping with disability.
“It is unfair. It is unhealthy and there is now a better way to go about it,” Mr Drum said.

“I was delighted to see the Coalition leadership commit to championing the National Disability Insurance Scheme, and I know a lot of families will share that feeling.”

The Coalition has vowed to take a national leadership role to ensure that Victorians with disabilities, their families and carers get the significant support and care they need.

Thousands of Victorian families and carers currently endure great hardship and bear the financial burden of caring for their family member with a disability.
Mr Drum said trying to resolve problems for people living with disabilities and their families had been the single biggest issue he had struggled with in his eight years in State Parliament.

Victorians who are either born with a disability or acquire a disability outside of a workplace or car accident have no way of gaining automatic and guaranteed support and care.

“Too many Victorians spend too much of their lives sitting on waiting lists, often waiting years to access basic services such as accommodation, aids and equipment, respite care and day programs.”

Coalition leader Ted Baillieu said: “An NDIS will help reduce the gap between the demand for disability services and their availability, which will continue to grow if the current dysfunctional system remains in place.

He committed the Coalition to ensuring the recommendations of the Productivity Commission’s inquiry, due to report in July 2011, into a Disability Care and Support Scheme including the National Disability Insurance Scheme are adopted as soon as possible.

The Coalition’s role in creating an NDIS will include:

• Establishment of an NDIS Secretariat in the Department of Premier and Cabinet;
• Secondment of TAC and WorkSafe staff to the secretariat to bring their expertise in running no-fault insurance schemes to model the scheme and plan for implementation;
• Commitment to pilot a scheme in Victoria if a state-based trial is recommended;
• Commissioning additional research needed to support the scheme’s introduction;
• Inviting carers from across Victoria to advise on the design and implementation of the NDIS based on their own experience;
• Hosting a Community and Disability Services Ministers Conference immediately after the draft Productivity Commission report in February 2011 and ensuring NDIS is a priority for the first COAG meeting in 2011;
• Establishment of the Victorian NDIS Implementation Taskforce with representation from a range of stakeholders including people with disabilities, families and carers to advise the Victorian Government on all aspects of the design and implementation, including
co-ordinating with Federal and other state and territory governments, the Productivity Commission, disability organisations, individuals with a disability, their families and carers; and
• An NDIS based on the principles of equity, efficiency, sustainability and self-determination.

These commitments will ensure that work can begin straight after the final Productivity Commission report to design and agree on a model and get an NDIS underway.
Mr Drum said he thanked Mr Baillieu and Shadow Community Services Minister Mary Wooldridge for their stand on the NDIS.

“The Coalition’s leadership role will change the way the community views and responds to people with a disability,” Ms Wooldridge said.

“A Coalition Government will work with the Federal Government and other states and territories to ensure that major disability reform occurs.

“The Coalition will champion significant reform of disability services, providing much greater lifelong support for Victorians with a disability and their families and giving them the best chance to fulfil their potential,” Ms Wooldridge said