The NSW Budget and Seniors
By Anne-Marie Elias
The NSW 2009-2010 Budget delivered some surprises last month such as the elimination of the booking fee for pensiners on Counrty Link and the restraint from increasing state charges and taxes much to the relief of seniors and families. We welcome the significant increases in spending on disability, health, transport and housing; we will be watching as this spending is announced by each department to identify allocations to seniors.
It is becoming increasingly difficult to measure the spend on seniors when expenditure is spread across key departments like health, housing and disability.
Better Service and Value Plan
NSW will see an amalgamation of the 160 government agencies into 13 clusters. The 13 super departments will be Communities, Human Services, Education & Training, Health, Planning & Local Government, Transport & Infrastructure, Industry & Investment, Environment, Climate Change & Water, Justice, Policy & Emergency Services, Premier and Cabinet, Treasury, Services and Administration.
The amalgamation is expected to result in:
• Improved service delivery through integration
• Reduction of red tape and savings through economies of scale
• Improved budget outcomes as agencies resolve conflicting positions
• Greater service innovation through improved policy advice capacity
Concern over the placement of Office for Ageing under Communities was raised with the Minister who assured the sector that it would remain with DADHC under Human Services. We will wait for further announcements as the new structure emerges.
Ageing
Ageing program spending is maintained at $5.9 million with Office of Ageing being moved under the Communities cluster in the new departmental arrangements. The modest increases (7.4%) in Home and Community Care (HACC) and the reduction (1.6% increase is negated by CPI) in Home Care Services (HCS) despite the ageing of the population are disappointing; these invaluable services enable frail older people and people with a disability to remain living at home with home based support such as meals, personal care and allied health services.
The budget highlights for 2009-10 include Restorative/Independence approach (also known as Wellness approach) which is welcomed by the sector.
We remain concerned about the cost shifting between the State and Commonwealth on ageing expenditure. A COAG resolution on the HACC split is required so that expenditure on the ageing population is more transparent. The NGO sector has repeatedly asked for assurances that any move of aged services to the Commonwealth will mean service improvements to better support older people and their carers.
Heath
The Government will spend $14.5 billion on health services an increase of $1.3 billion on 2008-09. This much needed boost will improve hospital and community health services, expand mental health services, further increase numbers of pharmacists and nurses, improve Aboriginal health, and increase acute care capacity (implementing the Garling recommendations).
COTA NSW welcomes improvements to health in particular access to allied health professionals and better coordination in the delivery of hospital to home care for patients. We look forward to a health system based on patient centred care.
Housing
Housing is a big winner in the 2009-10 budgets with $3.5 billion, largely due to injections from the Commonwealth Nation Building Economic Stimulus Package. Notable programmes include crisis accommodation, affordable housing, rental affordability, social and community housing.
COTA NSW is on the NGO Housing Partners Reference Group convened by Housing NSW and is raising awareness of issues affecting seniors such as affordable housing, soaring private rental market costs and grandparent carers.
Energy
The Pensioner Energy Rebate will increase to $130 per annum and extends to other health care card holders. An increase in funding for the Energy Accounts Payment Assistance scheme is also welcomed, as are hardship assistance programs implemented by individual energy providers.
For more information on rebates and assistance programs visit the Energy & Water Ombudsman NSW link http://www.ewon.com.au/financial_help/index.html
DoCS
The Department of Community Services received a boost of $216 million with he main injection of funding to Keep them Safe $96 million and for a range of child protection , prevention and early intervention and out of home care. COTA NSW is raising awareness of grandparent carers so that they may access some respite and other suppport from DoCS.
COTANSW convenes the Grandparent Relative and Kinship Carers Alliance and manages the website www.raisinggrandchildren.com.au
We urge you to contact our policy team with your insights or concerns on 9286 3860 or at policy@cotansw.com.au
Budget information sources:
NSW 2009-2010 Budget papers are available at http://www.budget.nsw.gov.au/2009-10_budget_papers You can also view the Budget by Portfolio at http://www.budget.nsw.gov.au/budget_by_portfolio
NCOSS has an excellent summary by portfolio http://www.ncoss.org.au/resources/NCOSS-analysis-of-the-2009-10-NSW-State-Budget-for-web.pdf