Government failure on supported accomodation

21/10/10

The Federal Labor Government is spending $100 Million to deliver 313 new supported accommodation places for people with disability, but has no idea where they are located.

It was also revealed today that the Government has only delivered 142 out of 313 promised supported accommodation places.

In May 2008, the Federal Government announced that it was handing the states $100 million to deliver 313 places, and during the election campaign promised an additional 150 places.

However, it was revealed during Senate Estimates hearings today that the Commonwealth Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs is in the dark about the actual location of the places that they claim have been delivered.

The Government and FaHCSIA could only provide the states in which they are located.

"Bill Shorten and the Government failed to incorporate basic accountability measures in the Memorandum of Understanding they signed with the states to deliver supported accommodation," Senator Fifield said.

"As a result, the Government has absolutely no information about the tendering, timing or location of the places that they claim to have provided."

Tasmania and South Australia have received no places, while the Northern Territory has received one and Victoria received six.

"The Government has only managed to deliver a third of the places promised," Senator Fifield said.

"Yet how can we be confident that they have delivered these places without having information about where they are located?"

Senator Fifield said that there can be no confidence the Government will deliver the 150 extra places promised at the election when they don’t even know where the existing places are.

"The Government has abrogated its responsibility to maintain basic accountability in their spending, and it’s the most vulnerable Australians who may lose out as a result," Senator Fifield said.