Catholic Social Services Australia met with Amanda Camm, Queensland Minister for Families, Seniors and Disability Services, to discuss support for Queensland’s most vulnerable people amid ongoing social and economic challenges.
CSSA chief executive Jerry Nockles and director of policy and advocacy Carmel Sefian met with Ms Camm on Wednesday, shortly before federal Health Minister Mark Butler announced changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
CSSA held discussions with Ms Camm on the NDIS and the complexities of services funded across different levels of government.
The discussion focused on critical issues, including social service delivery pressures exacerbated by the current fuel crisis, cost-of-living impacts, housing and homelessness, land use for social and affordable housing, and early intervention models for children and families.
Dr Nockles emphasised the urgent need to protect funding for social services.
“As we have been saying all over the country, we appreciate and support fiscal discipline to reduce the cruel and relentless impact of inflation on vulnerable people,” Dr Nockles said.
“However, it is imperative that funding is secure and sufficient to deliver quality care. Any reduction in funding risks shifting costs to other systems and ultimately harms those who can least afford it.”
CSSA also supported calls for surge funding and contract flexibility to help emergency relief and social services respond effectively to the current fuel shortages impacting service delivery.
The Queensland Government has expressed reservations about fully committing to the Commonwealth’s Thriving Kids initiative to support children with autism. CSSA expressed keen interest in contributing to the forthcoming Thriving Kids Roundtable hosted by Ms Camm to ensure that Queensland families and children in greatest need benefit from the initiative.
The discussion also covered the potential to identify and repurpose surplus or under-utilised government land to support more social and affordable housing, building on successful initiatives such as the Catholic Church’s “Yes, In Faith’s Backyard” project.
This project aims to unlock underutilised land owned by faith-based and charitable organisations for affordable housing.
FULL STORY
Strengthening Support for Queensland’s Most Vulnerable: CSSA Meets Minister Amanda Camm (CSSA)
