Ross Vasta (Bonner, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On Friday, 18 May I had the great pleasure of attending the 17th annual dinner at the EM Memorial Tooth Home in Brisbane’s Bayside suburb of Lota. The EM Tooth Memorial Home is a highly valued aged-care facility in Bonner, and not only have I received outstanding reports on the quality of care provided by the home but I now know firsthand that the level of service the home endeavours to provide is also second to none. The dinner was a success, and I commend the management and staff on their hard work and commitment to offering the best possible opportunities and living environment to the aged in our community. The EM Tooth Memorial Home has developed a fine reputation in Queensland, but has also come to earn an important place in the Bayside community. Since it was first established in the 1960s, the community has seen the home grow. After its complete renovation in 2001, it now offers outstanding modern facilities that cater for residential aged care and respite care as well independent living. The facility manager, Sandra Tyson, and her team deserve congratulations on all that has been achieved, as the home is clearly a model for other aged-care facilities.

I also commend this government on its commitment to addressing the needs of our ageing population. Given the great contribution that senior Australians have made to our country, the government is focused on ensuring that the best possible residential care and service is available to the aged. The government is also committed to supporting the organisations and homes, such as the EM Memorial Tooth Home, that work so hard to deliver this quality care.

I note that in 1995-96, Australian government expenditure on aged care was $3.1 billion. Now, annual government outlays on aged care will increase to around $9.9 billion by 2011—more than a threefold increase. Furthermore, since 1998 the industry has invested $5.7 billion in the building and upgrading of aged-care homes. The Securing the Future of Aged Care for Australians package, which was announced by the Prime Minister earlier this year, provides $1.6 billion over the next five years. I applaud the measures included in the package, which will ensure that the increasing number of older Australians now and in the future will be able to access the right level of care when they need it. Most importantly, it will also help Australia’s aged care sector to meet those needs.

I also note that funding of $320.6 million was provided in the 2005-06 budget to make dementia a national health priority, an initiative that I believe is both extremely important and meaningful to many older Australians and their families. The Australian government spends $1.7 billion per year on community care services, and this is a more than threefold growth in the expenditure on community care since 1996. Community Aged Care Packages have also grown from around 4,500 places in 1996 to almost 40,000 places in June 2006. I find it interesting that in 1996 there was no program to provide high care support in the home, whereas, to date, there are around 2½ thousand such places in the form of Extended Aged Care at Home packages. This year’s budget continues the Australian government’s strong commitment to supporting older Australians and I believe the $1.7 billion in new funding for further improvements to our aged-care system is another step in the right direction. The EM Memorial Tooth Home has my full support, as do all the aged-care facilities in Bonner that provide quality care and accommodation to the aged in our community.