The National Compact between the Australian Government and the not-for-profit or Third Sector, was launched by Prime Minister Rudd on March 17 at Parliament House in Canberra.

The Compact represents an undertaking by the Commonwealth Government and the Third Sector to develop a new, collaborative way of working together to achieve to address key social, economic and environmental challenges.”

Prior to the launch of the compact, extensive community consultations were held, the results of which are published in the National Compact Consultation Report.

In April 2008 the Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children’s Services, the Hon Bill Shorten MP, assembled a group of prominent Australians with a wealth of experience and knowledge in philanthropic investment and asked them to explore innovative funding ideas from the private sector that will help people with disability and their families access greater support and plan for the future.

The Disability Investment Group (DIG) was chaired by Ian Silk. Its members included Bruce Bonyhady, John Walsh, Bill Moss, Kathleen Townsend, Allan Fels and Mary Ann O’Loughlin (until October 2008). The Australian Government released the Disability Investment Group’s report called The Way Forward: A New Disability Policy Framework for Australia on December 3 2009.

The report makes six recommendations. The principal recommendation is for a feasibility study into a national disability insurance scheme for Australia.

Other recommendations refer to:

• Special Disability Trusts
• savings and investment incentives
• private investment in housing
• better employment opportunities and
• building best practice and research

According to The Way Forward, over the next 40 years in Australia the number of people with severe or profound disability is projected to grow from 1.4 million to 2.9 million. Recent trends indicate growth in demand for specialist disability services of 7.5 per cent per annum in real terms.

In 2006, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) announced a limited, five year initiative to address the growing Younger People In Residential Aged Care (YPIRAC) issue. Held midway through this national program’s five year term, Shaping the Future Today reviewed the initiative’s achievements to date; and highlighted priorities for the final two years of its life.

The Council of Australian Government’s (COAG) Younger People in Residential Aged Care (YPIRAC) Program’s Mid-Term Review report analyses the targets, performance to date and key issues associated with the YPIRAC Program.

This landmark collaboration between Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments was always intended as a first step towards final resolution of the young people in nursing home issue, and not a solution in and of itself.

Aiming to provide community based accommodation and support alternatives to younger people with disability living in or at risk of admission to residential aged care (RAC), the YPIRAC program has three key objectives.” These are to:

• offer community based alternative supported accommodation options to younger people with disability currently accommodated in RAC
• prevent or divert further admissions of younger people with disability who are at risk of admission to RAC
• and provide disability services to younger people with disability whose health prevents them exiting RAC, or who choose to remain there for reasons of proximity to family and community in remote and rural areas.

Each state and territory government signed a bi lateral agreement with the commonwealth to implement the program. These bi lateral agreements contained targets specific to each objective. The Commonwealth Government provided 50% of the initial funding or $122m with each State and Territory matching this amount dollar for dollar on a per capita basis. Victoria provided an additional $10m for capital development.

A second phase of this landmark initiative is currently under discussion.