Hon Adele Farina questions the Minister for Mental Health regarding potential funding issues for NGOs in the lower south west due to the NDIS trial. The Minister claims no knowledge of the issue and suggests it's a Commonwealth matter.

AnsweredQoN 665Legislative Council
Asked
19 June 2014
Portfolio
Mental Health

QuestionView source ↗

MENTAL
HEALTH — NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANISATION FUNDING — LOWER SOUTH WEST
665. Hon ADELE FARINA to the
Minister for Mental Health:
My question is without notice.
(1) Is the
minister aware of non-government organisations delivering mental health
services in the lower south west being denied eligibility to apply for funding
grants available under the Department of Social Services, and is this a result
of the National Disability Insurance Scheme trial in the lower south west?
(2) What is
the minister doing, or what will she do, about this to avoid the NGOs having to
close their doors?

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the member for the question.
(1)–(2)
Nothing about non-government organisations in the lower south west has been
brought to my attention. Obviously it is a commonwealth issue. The Department
of Social Services is the commonwealth department that normally funds NGOs. I
saw an advertisement in the paper some time ago asking people to apply for
grants around various things, including mental health services. Whether grants
were put in and were not successful, I do not know. I do not believe that it
could have any connection whatsoever with the National Disability Insurance
Scheme. As I indicated yesterday, I was told that the number of service
providers in the lower south west has tripled in preparation for the NDIS. I do
not imagine that it has anything do with the NDIS, but it could have reasons to
do with all sorts of other things. I am happy to look into it if somebody would
like to let me know the specifics around the non-government organisations. They
have not made contact with me. I do not know whether they have come to my
office in some other form. If it has come to the Mental Health Commission, I do
not know about it. It has not been brought to my attention.

Explore WA Government Data

Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.

Explore more