Last night’s Budget was largely a reannouncement of a number of previously announced initiatives, including the increased number of Home Care Packages (HCPs), and the one-off payment for residential care facilities in acknowledgement of the difficult financial position many providers are in.
New aged care initiatives announced last night included funding certainty for the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) and $2.6 million to support the implementation of the Aged Care Workforce Strategy. These are important measures, but they need to be followed up with much more coordinated action from the whole of government to address the serious issues we are facing as a sector.
Choose Your Area of Interest
Young People: 2019/20 Federal Budget
We are calling for a national plan to address the systemic issues that drive youth homelessness and greater investment in affordable housing and social housing.
Volunteering: 2019/20 Federal Budget
As we move into the election period, we hope there will considered thought on the massive contributions to GDP volunteering provides and the need to strategically invest in this workforce to ensure government programs are safely and appropriately supported.
Mental Health: 2019/20 Federal Budget
The balance of funding is slowly tipping the scales toward prevention and early intervention when in the past this was only a very small proportion of the overall mental health budget.
Families & Children: 2019/20 Federal Budget
It continues to be disappointing that the government refuses to listen to the chorus of voices calling for an increase to Newstart allowance. This refusal condemns countless children to abject poverty.
Alcohol, Tobacco & Other Drugs: 2019/20 Federal Budget
There was nothing new for Tasmania from this Budget for the alcohol and drug sector.
Housing: 2019/20 Federal Budget
“Affordable housing and social housing, both public and community housing, ain’t fixed.”
2019/20 Federal Budget Wrap-up
Summaries on the major areas of the Budget with links to more information and commentary on related peak body websites.
Older Australians: 2019/20 Federal Budget
There are 183,000 people older than 50 on Newstart who have been on Newstart for longer than 12 months.