Stronger Stream – Community Services, Volunteering & Disability Services:

• Recommendation to establish adequate transport in regional areas for people with a severe disability. There is often transport available during the school term but nothing during school holidays when many students with a disability still attend various programs.
• Recommendation for increased funding for people over 60 with a disability from the State Government.
• Concerns over the lack of respite service for carer’s in regional areas.
• There are extremely long waiting lists for community housing. There are 8000 people with disabilities who require supported accommodation, who’s needs are currently unmet.
• Local community involvement is needed on the ground in communities so there’s direct contact with local people, instead of speaking to someone at a head office in Sydney.

Healthier Stream:

• Patients are concerned with the lack of contact by the Healthcare Complaints Commission during reviews relating directly to their experience/complaint.
• More support for young people with a mental illness is required. It’s important to ensure schools are equipped to deal with children who have a mental illness and have adequate resources available to support them.
• A more efficient system is needed to deal with the transportation of mental health patients, which is monitored/analysed.
• Concern over the inter-departmental bickering between Police and Health Departments in relation to the transportation of people with a mental illness.
• In relation to the NSW Liberals and Nationals goal to ‘support people with illness and disabilities to reach their potential,’ it was raised that there is a significant gap between this goal and the reality of serious mental illnesses.
• Issue of mental health patients being released into community because jails etc are filling up.

Safer Stream – Police:

• Recommendation for a change in Fire Service Levies. A recommendation that there should be a land rated tax collected by the Shires.