Stop taking Carers for granted - Greens

18/03/10 11:00 am

The Greens have today released their 2010 Election Platform on a better deal for the State’s 222,000 carers with a focus on respite, transport and financial support.

“South Australia’s carers are undervalued, under-assisted and under-acknowledged,” said Greens MLC Mark Parnell.

“More than 1 in 8 South Australians provide informal care for a loved one, saving taxpayers an estimated $2.66 billion dollars a year. Governments need to stop taking this enormous contribution for granted.

“Carers need more support and they need it now. As our population ages, more people will need care. We need to ensure that those who provide this care are able to do it well, and are able to do it without sacrificing their own wellbeing,” he said.

The Greens are calling for:

• an expansion of the South Australian Transport Subsidy Scheme so that more transport options are available to carers, especially those in regional and remote areas;
• an increase in the basement paid to carers, along with improved concessions and subsidies;
• a major increase in the amount and range of regular, ongoing respite options; and
• the funding of an ongoing community awareness campaign, along with an education and training program for service providers.

“Whichever party takes Government on Saturday needs to have a good hard look at how much financial support we give carers, and start taking into account how much they are saving the taxpayer by avoiding the need for formal, paid care,” Mr Parnell said.

“We must stop taking these enormously dedicated South Australians for granted,” he said.

The Greens Valuing our Carers Election Platform can be found at: http://vote1.sa.greens.org.au

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