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- 19 October 2004
Carers Week
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The Hon. KAYEE GRIFFIN: My question is addressed to the Minister for Community Services, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Disability Services, and Minister for Youth. What action is the Government taking to support the contribution that carers make to our community?
The Hon. CARMEL TEBBUTT: The question of the Hon. Kayee Griffin is important because this week is Carers Week, which presents an opportunity for everyone to acknowledge the wonderful role that carers play in our community. Today I was pleased to represent the Government at Cabramatta while attending the launch of Carers Week, which is being run by Carers New South Wales. I thank Carers New South Wales for the work it has done and for organising this week's events. The Cabramatta-Fairfield area has a high percentage of carers—approximately 20 per cent of the population—and that is why Carers New South Wales chose the area for the launch of the campaign.
Carers Week is a national event that celebrates and raises awareness of the valuable role that carers play in our community. Carers are the foundation of community care because they enable the people for whom care is provided, such as older people and people with a disability, to continue to live in and participate among the community. There is no doubt that caring can be emotionally, physically and financially demanding. This week is a chance to show appreciation and to express thanks for what carers do; but, more importantly, it is a chance to raise awareness of the need for support for carers. The research shows that informal support for carers—from friends, community and neighbours—can do a great deal to make the job of a carer a more satisfying experience.
The New South Wales Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care provided $90,000 for Carers Week. That amount includes funding for Carers New South Wales to support more than 150 events throughout New South Wales and the provision of $60,000 for a strategy to reach hidden carers throughout New South Wales by increasing their awareness of support services that are available to them. In New South Wales alone there are 800,000 carers. Approximately 150,000 of them are aged 65 or over, and our ageing population will result in this number increasing. Almost half the number of primary carers report that they have been caring for at least 10 years. Although the majority of carers are of working age, only 40 per cent are in the work force. The Government is well aware of the need to provide appropriate support for carers. An example has been the New South Wales Carers Program, which provides valuable and much-needed services and support throughout New South Wales.
As part of the New South Wales Carers Program, carers support services have been implemented in area health services to improve the manner in which health services respond to carers. Funding of $3.1 million has also been allocated to non-government organisations, local government authorities and community groups for the delivery of direct carers' support projects over the next three years. The projects include carer training in education, social and emotional support, carer networking, information resources and peer leadership. The Minister for Health recently approved triennial funding for 10 new statewide carer initiatives to support particular carer groups. These programs will be available to carers across New South Wales and will combine rural and regional service networks with the use of new technologies, such as the Internet, to reach carers.
This year the Government will spend more than $800 million on community-based caring in New South Wales. Approximately half that amount will be provided for services for people who have a disability, and the other major portion will be spent on the Home and Community Care Program. There is much that the New South Wales Government is doing to support carers, but there is no doubt that Carers Week is an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the role of carers while raising awareness among the broader community of ways in which to support carers.
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