September 18, 2012
The Queensland Council Of Social Services (QCOSS) has delivered a commentary on the State Budget, warning that cuts will hit the poorest and most disadvantaged harder than anyone else.
The warning backs up reports from South Burnett welfare agencies that the area may be heading for a “welfare disaster” in the near future as a result of budget cutbacks.
While QCOSS welcomed initiatives in several areas, it warned that if the Department Of Communities reduced funding to non-government organisations by $65 million in 2012-13, the outcome would be “significant cuts” to programs associated with family support, homelessness, domestic and family violence, drug and alcohol issues and youth and community services which are aimed at prevention and early intervention.
QCOSS was critical of the removal of State funding for Court Diversionary Programs such as the Murri Court, Drug Court, Special Circumstances Court and Queensland Alcohol Diversion Program.
It also warned that the 10 per cent increase in penalty units for fines and penalty infringement notices was likely to disproportionately affect low-income and disadvantaged Queenslanders; as would the introduction of a levy on offenders sentenced in the state’s courts.
But it reserved its most damning criticisms for the closure of the Skilling Queenslanders For Work program, the removal of funding for Youth Support Co-ordinators, and reductions in preventative health programs.
QCOSS said that while the government expects to save $297.7 million a year by axeing the SQW program, program graduates would have earned approximately $375 million in wages in the coming 12 months. QCOSS said that SQW was one program that generated “immediate, quantifiable financial returns for the State”.
It also said that without Youth Support Co-ordinators, many young Queenslanders at risk of disengaging from senior education would not receive the support they need to continue their schooling. This would put more than 16,000 students at risk.
Preventative health programs also received a tick from QCOSS, who believed they helped ease cost and service pressures on the health care system. The loss of these programs would “add further pressure to an already overburdened system”.
QCOSS said it had been collecting information about the impact of the cuts by surveying affected organisations.
Based on 65 responses received up to the release of the State Budget, it believes that as many as 73,000 clients across eight different programs will no longer receive support, and an equivalent of 247.5 full-time employees will lose their jobs.
But it warned that “these numbers will inevitably grow” with the closure of additional programs and services as a result of the Budget.
The full eight-page report can be downloaded as a PDF by clicking here.
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