❓ Dr. Stratton asks about the government's support for Activ Foundation employees after the closure of industrial worksites and the transition to Workpower. The Premier outlines the collaborative effort between state and federal governments to ensure a smooth transition and continued employment for people with disabilities.
AnsweredQoN 220Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ACTIV FOUNDATION —
WORKPOWER
220. Dr K. STRATTON to the Premier:
I refer to the decision made by the
Activ Foundation last year to close its large-scale industrial worksites.
(1) Can the Premier outline to the house how the
McGowan Labor government, in partnership with the Albanese federal
government, has supported a smooth transition for Activ Foundation–supported
employees?
(2) Can the
Premier advise the house what the transition of these large-scale worksites to
Workpower will mean for it supported employees?
WORKPOWER
220. Dr K. STRATTON to the Premier:
I refer to the decision made by the
Activ Foundation last year to close its large-scale industrial worksites.
(1) Can the Premier outline to the house how the
McGowan Labor government, in partnership with the Albanese federal
government, has supported a smooth transition for Activ Foundation–supported
employees?
(2) Can the
Premier advise the house what the transition of these large-scale worksites to
Workpower will mean for it supported employees?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the
member for Nedlands for the question and her history of work in this field.
(1)–(2) In May 2022, the Activ Foundation announced plans
to close its large-scale worksites in Western Australia, of which there are
around seven or eight around the state. Basically, they are almost factories. A
lot of people with disabilities work there doing important and productive work
to provide goods and support for industry around Western Australia. Around 700
people with disabilities in Western Australia worked in Activ industries. It
was started in the 1950s by a group of parents whose children had disabilities.
They wanted them to have productive activity in their days. It is a wonderful
organisation that has done that work over all these years. What occurred, of
course, is that last year Activ announced it was going to phase out of this, moving to other areas of endeavour. The Minister
for Disability Services and I learnt about this, and we went to the
commonwealth government to ask whether we could work out a transition by which
we kept Activ open and ensured the
700 supported employees continued to work while we worked out an alternative
option.
To their credit and despite their
budget situation, the Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme,
Bill Shorten, and Minister for Social Services, Amanda Rishworth, joined us.
They provided $7.8 million and we put in $4 million. That gave time so we could
work out an alternative arrangement. As of
the other day, we were able to announce that an alternative arrangement has
been reached. A business called Workpower will take over the workshops
and transition the worksites, and that means the people with disabilities in
these worksites will be able to continue to work in the same sites and
undertake this productive work that they have been doing. The transition is
expected to be complete by 30 June. I saw some of the stuff they produce the
other day. For example, it is folding serviettes for Qatar Airways or working
to put new stickers on cans of beans to outline Australian requirements for
beans imported from Britain. I did not know we import mushy peas from England,
but there you go—we do. There was a lot of them. We have a standard by
which a can has to say how much salt and other things are in it. People are
putting stickers on the cans. They do lots of important work and important jobs
in those sorts of fields undertaken by people with disabilities. It was
wonderful; it has comradery and fun. People were talking to one another and it is social. I met the mums
and dads of some of the people working there, and the families were so happy
that they were teary. It was a good thing and I am very pleased we were able to
achieve this outcome. I thank the commonwealth government, and I would
especially like to thank the Minister for Disability Services and Workpower for
all their work.
member for Nedlands for the question and her history of work in this field.
(1)–(2) In May 2022, the Activ Foundation announced plans
to close its large-scale worksites in Western Australia, of which there are
around seven or eight around the state. Basically, they are almost factories. A
lot of people with disabilities work there doing important and productive work
to provide goods and support for industry around Western Australia. Around 700
people with disabilities in Western Australia worked in Activ industries. It
was started in the 1950s by a group of parents whose children had disabilities.
They wanted them to have productive activity in their days. It is a wonderful
organisation that has done that work over all these years. What occurred, of
course, is that last year Activ announced it was going to phase out of this, moving to other areas of endeavour. The Minister
for Disability Services and I learnt about this, and we went to the
commonwealth government to ask whether we could work out a transition by which
we kept Activ open and ensured the
700 supported employees continued to work while we worked out an alternative
option.
To their credit and despite their
budget situation, the Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme,
Bill Shorten, and Minister for Social Services, Amanda Rishworth, joined us.
They provided $7.8 million and we put in $4 million. That gave time so we could
work out an alternative arrangement. As of
the other day, we were able to announce that an alternative arrangement has
been reached. A business called Workpower will take over the workshops
and transition the worksites, and that means the people with disabilities in
these worksites will be able to continue to work in the same sites and
undertake this productive work that they have been doing. The transition is
expected to be complete by 30 June. I saw some of the stuff they produce the
other day. For example, it is folding serviettes for Qatar Airways or working
to put new stickers on cans of beans to outline Australian requirements for
beans imported from Britain. I did not know we import mushy peas from England,
but there you go—we do. There was a lot of them. We have a standard by
which a can has to say how much salt and other things are in it. People are
putting stickers on the cans. They do lots of important work and important jobs
in those sorts of fields undertaken by people with disabilities. It was
wonderful; it has comradery and fun. People were talking to one another and it is social. I met the mums
and dads of some of the people working there, and the families were so happy
that they were teary. It was a good thing and I am very pleased we were able to
achieve this outcome. I thank the commonwealth government, and I would
especially like to thank the Minister for Disability Services and Workpower for
all their work.
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