SA Best

Advocacy  

Do you commit to significantly increasing state government investment in independent individual, systemic, and representative advocacy in South Australia?  

 

SA Best Members of the Legislative Council are approached by literally hundreds of constituents a year who are concerned for themselves, their children or their family and friends to ensure that there are advocates placed in advocacy services to act on their behalf. We have become aware that the current levels of support and resourcing are inadequate, particularly for people who may be under guardianship orders or required to deal with external agencies such as the NDIS or Centrelink or third parties like housing providers. We have shown that we are particularly strong advocates for those who find it harder to have their voices heard and understood. We are critically aware of how challenging, difficult and often frustrating this can be. We would strongly support increased state government investment for this purpose in South Australia.

 

Transport  

Do you commit to investing in the transition of South Australia’s taxi fleet to fully accessible vehicles by 2032?  

 

We want to see a really comprehensive strategy to address the transport needs of people needing fully accessible vehicles, and have a wide range of ideas to pursue including those proposed by Purple Orange to ensure that there is a fully accessible fleet for all.  As you note we have the oldest population of over 50 year olds in Australia so there will be an increasing need for transport for older South Australians as well as those with disabilities. 

We are not surprised, but similarly appalled by the fact that the access fleet has increased by one vehicle in ten years because successive South Australian Governments have neglected and indeed contributed to the decline in the taxi industry over a long period.  Notwithstanding the terrible impacts on the taxi industry from the Pandemic, we are extremely concerned that  but the point to point funds are not invested in the industry,  there is no subsidy scheme like Queensland, there is no incentive to move to electric vehicles and indeed no incentive to have an access cab and pay taxi licence fees at all, and no plan to rescue and re structure the industry in the ways you suggest. We have been very concerned the ride share industry does not comply or meet these needs like taxis do. 

SA Best has been an extraordinarily strong advocate for the survival of our hard working but sadly failing taxi industry and will support a comprehensive suite of improvements and innovations to increase the viability and thus accessibility of access taxis to all.  Like you we are saddened that many access cabs are “parked up” and not even in service due to the lack of viability and sustainability of the industry. We have and will continue to strongly advocate that this be completely turned around and many of your suggestions would contribute to this. 

 

Housing  

Do you commit to making the accessibility standards in the National Construction Code 2022 mandatory in South Australia?   

 

SA Best strongly supports reforms to Building and Construction Codes in South Australia to ensure that they comply with national standards. We would look at a transition process with key milestones to be met to achieve this outcome, rather than a hard mark mandatory date to achieve this so that no one experiences economic harm or disadvantage. 

 

Health  

Do you commit to funding meaningful measures to address the widespread barriers to safe access and inclusion across all South Australia’s hospitals and health services so that people living with disability can access these essential services on an equal basis to all other members of the community?  

 

SA Best has been highly proactive in regard to ensuring that people living with disability can access all essential and non essential services on an equal basis in our community. We will continue to advocate for additional funding and better resourcing to ensure that there are no areas that are effectively “off limits” to disabled people including in our natural and built environments.  

SA Best has and will continue to strongly advocate for specialist services currently not available here in South Australia,  to be established here, for example a paediatric cardiac unit in the WCH and a much increased funding for mental health specialist units in a variety of settings including in public hospitals.

 

Education  

Do you commit to Inclusive Education in South Australia including through signing an Inclusive Education Policy Statement, developing an Inclusive Education Strategy, funding the implementation of Inclusive Education initiatives in schools, and not establishing any new special schools or units?  

 

As you may know SA Best has been highly active in this space and will continue to do so. We have strongly advocated for free personal hygiene products to be available in all schools and introduced a Gender Equality Bill which passed the Legislative Council in 2021. We will re introduce this into the new Parliament. It not only targets gender equality in the public sector but is aimed at achieving maximum inclusivity in the public sector. Similarly we would strongly support an Inclusive Education Policy so that people are not excluded or ostracized in any way on any basis, including gender, disability, ethnicity, religion, cultural background or any other criteria. 

Where parents call for specialised and expert units, such as in speech pathology or remedial assistance and this is supported by solid evidence and expert advice, along with family and advocate group support, we would support their inclusion into the education system in the most appropriate and effective manner. 

 

Justice  

Do you commit to implementing all recommendations in the South Australian Law Reform Institute's report Providing a Voice to the Vulnerable: A Study of Communication Assistance in South Australia?  

 

SA Best has shown that it is an highly proactive advocate to give a voice to vulnerable people who have difficulty being seen, heard and respected. We strongly supports all of the recommendations in the 2021 South Australian Law Reform Institute's report Providing a Voice to the Vulnerable: A Study of Communication Assistance in South Australia which focuses on assistance that the vulnerable require when accessing the justice system. We strongly agree with the report that disabled and Aboriginal people are especially disadvantaged. We have been and will continue to be very active advocates for better interpreter and support services as well as the Communications Partners recommended by the SALRI report. 

 

DAIP implementation  

Do you commit to funding grants for the implementation of actions under Disability Access and Inclusion Plans (DAIPs) for both state agencies and local councils in South Australia?  

SA Best strongly supports grants to implement actions under the Disability Access and Inclusion plans that State and Local government agencies develop. 

 

We hope that this assists your members.  Please do not hesitate to contact us further as needed. 

 

Kind Regards

Adrienne 

Adrienne Gillam | Senior Adviser

Office of the Hon Connie Bonaros MLC and the Hon Frank Pangallo MLC | Members of the Legislative Council