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Australian Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs

Disabilities

Commonwealth, State and Territory Agreements


The Commonwealth State Territory Disability Agreement (CSTDA)


CSTDA Multilateral Agreement

The current agreement expires on 30 June 2007. The third CSTDA was due to expire on 30 June 2007, however the Australian, state and territory governments have agreed to an extension to 31 December 2007 to enable negotiations for a fourth CSTDA to be finalised.

CSTDA Bilateral Agreements

The Bilateral Agreements for 2002-03 to 2006-07 are available below.

CSTDA Annual Public Reports

Community and Disability Services Ministers' Advisory Council

The Community and Disability Services Ministers' Advisory Council (CDSMAC) is an official forum of senior Commonwealth, State and Territory Disability officials who discuss nationally significant disability policy issues that are relevant to the provision of specialist disability services. They advise Ministers on matters pertaining to the services covered by the Agreement and the national framework.

Disability Policy and Research Working Group

The Disability Policy and Research Working Group is a working party to CDSMAC which discusses CSTDA management issues and oversees the development and implementation of the CSTDA Implementation Work plan.

Research and Development

Under the CSTDA the Australian and state and territory governments contribute to a research and development trust fund for research into disability issues of national significance. The Australian Government is responsible for managing the trust fund on behalf of all jurisdictions. The Disability Policy and Research Working Group is responsible for selecting research projects on the basis that they must have a joint state/territory and Australian Government focus and seek to address national disability issues.

CSTDA Factsheet


Increased Access to Respite Care for Older Carers

In the 2004-05 Budget, the Australian Government announced that it would provide $72.5 million over four years from 2004-05 to 2007-08, to increase access to respite care for older parents caring for their sons and daughters with a disability. Under this measure, parents aged 70 years and over who provide primary care for a son or daughter with a disability will be entitled to up to four weeks respite care a year. Parent carers aged between 65 and 69 who themselves need to be hospitalised will be entitled to up to two weeks respite care a year.

This increased level of access to respite care is subject to state and territory governments matching the Australian Government's offer and managing combined funds to directly assist older parent carers. As part of the announcement, the then Minister for Family and Community Services indicated that this Budget measure would be implemented via bilateral agreements between Australian Government and state and territory governments under the Commonwealth State Territory Disability Agreement.

Agreements have been reached as follows:

Transfer of Services

The Commonwealth State Territory Disability Agreement (CSTDA) provides the national framework for the provision of government support to services for people with disability. Under the three agreements signed so far (the first in 1991), state and territory governments have responsibility for the planning, policy setting and management of accommodation support, community support, community access and respite care services for people with a disability. The Australian Government has similar responsibilities for specialised employment assistance.

Governments recognise that the nature of services may change over time. For example, services that may once have been categorised as disability employment services may, over time, change their operations so that they would now be more appropriately categorised as community access/day option services. Similarly, services that originally focussed on day options may have increased their employment focus to the point where they are more appropriately regarded as disability employment services. It may better serve the needs of those services and their clients for there to be a change in the level of government having administrative responsibility, to align with the agreed responsibilities under the CSTDA.

Agreement has been reached as follows:

COAG Health Services - Younger People with Disability in Residential Aged Care Program

On 10 February 2006 the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) agreed as part of Health reforms, that a new program would be initiated to reduce the numbers of younger people with disabilities living in nursing homes throughout Australia. From July 2006, governments will implement the joint Commonwealth, State and Territory program.

The program will include:

The initial priority of the program will be for people under 50 years of age.

COAG determined that responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Program should rest with state and territory governments, and that implementation should take account of the individual circumstances applying in each jurisdiction.

Bilateral Agreements have now been negotiated between the Australian Government and each state and territory.

A 'model' bilateral agreement, setting out:is available for the information of people with disability, their families and carers and interested members of the public.
Request for Information - innovative approaches to support and accommodation for younger people with disability

In connection with the COAG initiative, the Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, on behalf of the Australian Government, issued a public Request for Information on arrangements for the care and support of younger people with disability.

Advertisements requesting information were placed in all national newspapers in July 2006.

78 public submissions were received from a range of respondents, including service providers, peak representative bodies, advocacy groups and individuals.

A summary report has been developed for public release. The report does not endorse 'preferred' service delivery models or particular views. It is simply designed to share information and encourage discussion about suggested options for future support and care arrangements.