Decision details

Moved by Councillor Miller, seconded by Councillor Scully –

It is resolved that:

(A)        Council note:

(i)          independent disability advocacy, information and peak representative organisations:

(a)        play a critical role in upholding the rights of people with disability; and

(b)        assist people with disability achieve full inclusion through individual one-on-one advocacy and systemic advocacy work; 

(ii)         without secure long-term funding commitments from the NSW Government, people with disability will not have access to advocates to resolve issues of discrimination, exclusion, or poor treatment and care;

(iii)        all areas of an individual, their families and carers lives are impacted: education, health, justice, transport, employment, accessing infrastructure, accommodation and community activities;

(iv)       the NSW Government will cease funding to disability advocacy services on June 30 2020;

(v)         the City of Sydney works to ensure Sydney is an inclusive and accessible city for everyone. We endeavour to make the physical components of the city accessible and provide social and economic opportunities for people with disability to enable full participation in city life; and

(vi)       the City stands with people with disability and their families in supporting the NSW Disability Advocacy Alliance’s call for secure, permanent funding for independent disability advocacy, information and peak representative organisations in NSW; and

(B)        the Lord Mayor be requested to write to the Premier of NSW, Gladys Berejiklian, and the Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services, Gareth Ward, asking them to guarantee secure, permanent funding for independent disability advocacy, information and peak representative organisations in NSW.

Carried unanimously.

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