Ministers: Why was WA left in the dark?
After four months of waiting, Minister Butler has finally announced the WA HACC growth funding figures for 2010/11. So why was WA left in the dark? And when will the state gov issue allocation details?
Above: CEO of Aged and Community Services WA (ACSWA)
By Yasmin Noone
A chronic lack of communication between the West Australian (WA) and federal governments has been cited as the most likely reason why the state’s Home and Community Care (HACC) growth funding figures were announced four months late.
The funding announcement, which was due in January this year, was made by the Minister for Mental Health and Ageing, Mark Butler, yesterday at the 11th hour, on the same day that the WA peak body for Aged and Community Services (ACSWA) issued a statement demanding immediate action.
The clock, however, is still ticking for the WA minister for health, Dr Kim Hames, as his office has yet to deliver details regarding who gets what funding – an announcement which the sector also expected around four months ago.
ACSWA CEO, Stephen Kobelke, said that although Minister Butler’s announcement was warmly welcomed, the delay was unacceptable.
“There are serious questions about what the delay was about, as this delay didn’t exist in other states,” Mr Kobelke said.
“…There appears to be a lack of communication between the state and federal government on HACC funding and other matters to do with aged care in WA. Our organisation is looking forward to communication between governments improving fairly rapidly.”
Around $9.6 million of ongoing funding for HACC services has been allocated for 2010/11 by the federal government. This figure includes $6.9 million in new one-off projects.
HACC is jointly funded by the state and Commonwealth governments and is currently administered by the state government. Minister Butler said the Commonwealth would contribute just over 60 per cent of the funding for these new investments as part of its contribution to the $212 million HACC program in WA during 2010-11.
Mr Kobelke said this year’s allocation is about on par with last year’s figures.
“We’d like to have seen an increase in funding but the federal government hasn’t funded any increases in aged care so it is no surprise that there was no increase,” he said.
“The main issue is that the delay doesn’t occur again…It may be that by next year the federal government will have control of HACC funding?
“We certainly wouldn’t want to be seeing these delays occur with any funding round. [A four month delay] is way too long.”
The impact of the delay on providers, Mr Kobelke said, was great. Given the fact that applications for growth funding closed in August, providers priced their capital and equipment needs in July 2010. The state government however is not likely to announce the finer details of who gets what until this June.
“In 11 months, the world changes and costs change. That’s the whole point.
“…Grants are usually announced in January and providers move fairly quickly to purchase equipment or implement a program to employ staff, and they try to work it through it before the end of the financial year.
“As it stands, providers now have about a six to eight week window to get everything underway.”
This delay, Mr Kobelke said, was also the last thing that WA providers needed on their plate.
“WA is a state that is under pressure in a number of areas…Despite it being clear that WA is battling, we are copping it every way.
“We don’t need any hold ups on anything.”
More than 66,000 people receive domestic help, nursing, allied health care such as physiotherapy and podiatry, home-delivered meals, social support and personal care under HACC each year in WA.
Around 270 organisations delivering HACC services across the state will benefit from the funding.
The HACC program is a key element of the Australian Government’s aged-care policy and its vision for a community care.
What is the process of becoming a HACC provider in Victoria? Why is it that Councils seems to have a monopoly delivering services under HACC?