Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was so pleased yesterday to attend the 30th birthday of the Community Living Project. This is a project that supports people with a disability to live full and independent lives. Indeed, it was a triple celebration yesterday: it was the opening of their new building and their 30th birthday, as well as their AGM.

Of course, the Community Living Project had a vision that government has only just caught up with, and that is that the person with a disability is in the centre of the support services they receive. With the introduction of the NDIS, giving control to people with a disability has been an essential part of that program. But the Community Living Project knew 30 years ago how important it was to put the person with a disability in the centre and to support that person to live independently and, most importantly, fulfil their potential.

This project was not set up by government; it was indeed what parents strived for. I would like to particularly pay tribute to Jill Wishart, Gray Brooks and Olive Western, founding parents that wanted a better opportunity for their children. Their work has paid off with the 30th celebration, with the Community Living Project still providing excellent services to people with a disability, helping them find employment, helping them live independently and, importantly, providing a social aspect to their lives.