National Redress Scheme: FUNDING SCANDAL Still no federal support for key WA agency Survivors of institutional abuse are outraged by the Federal Government’s refusal to pay for work carried out by a key service in WA supporting people engaging with the National Redress Scheme. As WA’s longest-standing service for abuse survivors, Tuart Place has been swamped with requests for assistance with the new scheme. Many of those seeking help are former clients who were supported during earlier schemes such as Redress WA and Towards Healing, with documentation dating back as far as the late 1990s. Survivors are wanting access to important evidence and historical documents held by the agency, from staff with whom they have developed solid relationships and trust. Tuart Place Director Dr Philippa White said that the Federal Government’s response to this issue is “the opposite of trauma-informed”. “The last thing survivors need is to be forced to re-tell their personal account of abuse to strangers at an unfamiliar agency”, she said. Dr White said that Tuart Place has no choice but to continue the battle for appropriate funding of its work, and that survivors seeking help from the agency would never be
turned away. Mr Dale Lynch, Vice Chairperson of Forgotten Australians Coming Together (FACT) and a survivor of institutional abuse, says he is appalled at the Government’s refusal to fund the highly-skilled agency, which has an award winning model of service delivery, and is governed by a survivor-led Board of Governance. “It is outrageous that the Department of Social Services continues to insist that it knows what’s best for us. It’s treating us in the same way we were treated as children”. Mr Lynch said the Government’s failure to fund the agency’s work is also contrary to the Royal Commission’s recommendations and urges survivors to contact their local Federal Member to complain. Contact Tuart Place at admin@tuartplace.org, or Dale Lynch on 0447-567-724 or dale.lynch8@bigpond.com if you would like to support Tuart Place’s appeal for appropriate federal funding.
National Redress Scheme: A warning to Fairbridge ex-residents Derek Smith, Vice-President of the Old Tuart Place is also seeking to have Fairbridge OFA Vice President Fairbridgians Association (WA), would declared Defunct, and a Funder of last resort like to warn ex-residents that Kingsley identified, so that full redress payments can Derek Smith Fairbridge Farm School (KFFS) has not be made to applicants as soon as possible. been declared a ‘Defunct institution’, Tuart Place counsellor Sarah Regan and that people applying to the National said it was deeply distressing for survivors Redress Scheme are simply being told that to have their NRS applications treated in this “Fairbridge hasn’t opted in yet”. way. Derek says this is hardly surprising, “We have been given no time frame given that the institution ceased to exist in for action on this matter, and our only avenue 1981. of appeal is to email the DSS complaints Fairbridge survivors are being department, which we have done. We are told that they can either accept a reduced waiting for a response”, Sarah said. redress payment, or put their application Sarah points out that, in addition on hold ‘until Fairbridge opts in’ (mission to a wealth of documented evidence, the impossible for a Defunct institution). Federal Government’s ‘Find & Connect’ Derek and OFA President Richard website https://www.findandconnect.gov. Hinch, who are championing this cause on au/guide/wa/WE00072 clearly demonstrates behalf of their members, say that KFFS is a textbook case of a that there was no legacy institution for Fairbridge Farm Defunct institution, and that ‘Funder of last resort’ provisions School when it closed in 1981. should already be in place. The Fairbridge site was purchased by Alcoa in 1983, “Fairbridge ex-residents are receiving confusing and was leased in 1989 to Fairbridge WA Inc, which offers letters and phone calls from the NRS and are being given the tourist accommodation and activities. In 2011, the records wrong information. I’m concerned that some people might of the former KFFS were transferred to the UK Prince’s think they have to accept a reduced payment. Once they Trust, which accepted them as an act of benevolence, for accept an offer, it’s case closed – you don’t get a second the purpose of facilitating ex-residents’ access to historic chance”, Derek said. records. OFA President Richard Hinch has raised this issue For further information, contact Derek or Richard at with the WA Premier and is awaiting a response. fairbridgewa@gmail.com 3
