Mr MATT KEAN (Hornsby-Parliamentary Secretary) [7.02 p.m.]: Tonight I pay tribute to carers, who are truly the unsung heroes of all our communities, playing a vital role in looking after those most in need. Almost every Australian at some point will have some family member caring responsibilities.
There are about 2.6 million carers throughout Australia at the moment. The dollar value that is put on their collective effort is about $40 billion per annum. Unpaid care is critical to the sustainability of health and community service systems, and it is estimated that it would cost about $40 billion to replace the hours of care provided by unpaid carers in Australia. That figure is only a fraction of the contribution that carers make in our community. We know that we cannot put a dollar figure on the tremendous work they do.
It is important to recognise that about 300,000 younger carers below the age of 24 have family caring responsibilities. They often have to juggle work, study and their caring responsibilities; inevitably something often gives, and more often than not it will be their study. That is why tonight I want to ensure that the Government hears about the need to provide support to young people in particular as they go through that challenging period of their lives. In New South Wales alone one in 10 people—about 850,000 people—are looking after a family member or a friend who has a disability, mental illness, a chronic health condition or is frail aged. Often carers do not see themselves as carers. They think, "I'm just being a husband", "I'm being a wife", "I'm being a brother", "I'm being a son" or "I'm being a daughter".
But tonight we must recognise them for the enormous contribution they make to our community. We need to do more than simply recognise them; we need to provide them with support so that they can continue their great work. There is research that shows that carers have much worse health and wellbeing than other demographic groups. So improving support for carers should concern the entire community. Indeed, it should concern every member of this Parliament. That is why the New South Wales Government's vision for the more than 857,000 carers in New South Wales is that they are supported to participate fully in their own social and economic life. We want them to be healthy and to live well.
That is why, last week, the New South Wales Government officially launched the New South Wales Carers Strategy, which is set to benefit carers across our State. The strategy is a five-year plan to improve the position of carers in New South Wales. The strategy will be implemented by government and non-government agencies, and private businesses in new partnerships designed to deliver better services and support for carers. The NSW Carers Strategy is a collaboration between the community and government and puts in place initiatives and programs to support our State's carers. When the member for Manly was elected to the role of Premier he said that a hallmark of this Government would be its commitment to protect and support vulnerable members of society and, of course, carers. Throughout the extensive consultation process the Government listened, and the strategy is the result of what the carers said they needed most.
More than 2,500 people contributed to the feedback and participated in workshops to collaborate and deliver on the strategy. The Government wants to ensure that we are hearing the real voices of carers and provide the supports identified by them in the strategy. We did not want the strategy to be a creation of government, of the bureaucracy. We wanted carers to tell us what they needed, not what we considered they needed. They know their needs. As an example, we are supporting our young carers by developing a young carers app, which is being developed by young carers themselves. This shared agenda will be implemented across government in partnership with the community, the private sector and non-government organisations. The Government is focused on delivering a strategy that promotes social inclusion, improves the status of carers and provides opportunities for them to lead fulfilling lives.
I am often humbled by the compassion and commitment shown every day by the people who deliver care and support to those in our society who most need it. Every day in my community I see examples of the outstanding work that carers do, providing the most vulnerable in our community with the support they need, whether it be caring for people living with a disability, those living with a mental illness, those who need respite, or those who are frail aged. Carers do a remarkable job, and it is fitting that this Parliament recognises their work tonight.
Read full transcript in Hansard here.
