Update as at 9 November 2023
The Disability Minister’s Advisory Council met for their fourth quarterly meeting on the 9 November 2023. Along with meeting with the Minister, the Council met with Parliamentary Counsel representatives and discussed the Concessions review and coordination of the Disability Royal Commission (DRC) response with the relevant Project Leads from DHS.
The Minister gave the Council a brief update on DRC findings and recommendations and advised the Council that she wants their feedback on the State Disability Inclusion Plan and the Carers Recognition Act review in 2024.
The Council was also advised of the DHS’s current areas of focus and timeframes on coordinating the response to the DRC recommendations. They also discussed how they would like to be consulted on implementing the DRC recommendations.
The Council met with representatives from Parliamentary Counsel to discuss disability language in legislation where they learned about the functions, advantages and drawbacks on changing definitions in law. They also learned about the constitutional implications which may exist if Commonwealth and State laws are in conflict and potential solutions for this.
The Project Lead from DHS Concessions advised the Council on the review being undertaken on the 22 household, transport and health care concessions that are available for people on low incomes. The Council provided feedback on the lack of accessibility to application forms and DHS advised that this is something that will be worked on as part of the review.
Members were officially thanked for their contribution and meaningful engagement in the Council over the past year. The new meeting schedule for the Disability Minister’s Advisory Council will be established in early 2024.