Media Release by Senator the Hon Amanda Vanstone

Personal Advisers Start Today: More Help for the Most Vulnerable

20 September 2002

Many Australians on income support will receive even more personalised services with the launch of Centrelink’s Personal Advisers, as part of the Australians Working Together (AWT) package.

Over 400 Personal Advisors will start work at Centrelink offices across the country today with more to be added as the program expands. (see attachments below)

The Personal Advisers are a big part of Australians Working Together. With 2.8 million Australians of working age on income support and 850,000 children growing up in households where no adult works, the need for an active welfare system is self-evident.

The best way to help people is to help them get a job. But we also realise that not everyone is job-ready, and that people’s skills, circumstances and experiences vary.

Personal Advisers will assist people identify their barriers to work and help them develop a plan to overcome these obstructions. The assistance will take into account a customer’s goals and aspirations, their existing skills and education, their health and other personal circumstances, their family situation and caring responsibilities.

The groups of people who will be helped by Personal Advisers are:

aged between 50 and Age Pension Age and who are in receipt of Widow Allowance, Partner Allowance or Mature Age Allowance;
in receipt of Parenting Payment;
in receipt of Newstart Allowance who are temporarily incapacitated;
Newly claiming Newstart Allowance and who are either Indigenous Australians, recently released from prison or who have certain exemptions from the Activity Test.

Other measures that will start today include an improved assessment process for Disability Support Pension claims that will focus on what people can do, not what they can’t.

Over the next three to four years we will provide an extra 32,000 disability employment assistance places, rehabilitation places, and vocational education and training places.

The Language, Literacy and Numeracy Supplement will also start today. It will offer an extra $20.80 per fortnight to help eligible participants in the Commonwealth’s Language, Literacy and Numeracy Programme with the costs associated with undertaking their training course.

Australians Working Together provides an innovative range of new and expanded initiatives. The initiatives starting today will help a range of people on income support receive the right help, at the right time.

PERSONAL ADVISERS BY STATE

State	Full Time PAs	Part Time PAs
QLD	99	1
NSW	117	13
VIC	81	0
TAS	14	0
SA	35	1p/t, 2 relief
WA	40	0 p/t, 9 relief
NT	19	0 p/t, 1 relief
ACT	1	3

PERSONAL ADVISERS BY AREA

Queensland

Bayside , 4 full-time
Beenleigh, 2 full-time
Biggera Waters, 2 full-time
Bowen, 1 full-time
Browns Plains, 2 full-time
Bundaberg, 3 full-time
Caboolture, 3 full-time
Cairns, 6 full-time
Caloundra, 2 full-time
Dalby, 1 full-time
Fortitude Valley, 1 full-time
Fraser Coast, 3 full-time
Gladstone, 2 full-time
Goodna, 2 full-time
Gympie, 2 full-time
Inala , 2 full-time
Ingham, 1 full-time
Innisfail, 1 full-time
Ipswich, 4 full-time
Kingaroy, 2 full-time
Kippa Ring, 3 full-time
Mackay, 3 full-time
Mareeba, 2 full-time
Maroochydore, 2 full-time
Maryborough, 1 full-time
Mitchelton, 2 full-time
Mt Gravatt, 2 full-time
Mt Isa, 2 full-time
Noosa, 3 full-time
Nerang, 2 full-time
Nundah, 2 full-time
Palm Beach, 1 full-time
Rockhampton, 4 full-time
Roma, 1 part-time
Southport, 3 full-time
Stones Corner, 4 full-time
Strathpine, 2 full-time
Toowong, 1 full-time
Toowoomba, 3 full-time
Townsville, 6 full-time
Warwick, 2 full-time
Woodridge, 3 full-time

New South Wales

Albury , 2 full-time, 1 part-time
Auburn, 2 full-time
Armidale, 2 full-time
Ballina, 1 full-time
Batemans Bay, 1 full-time
Bathurst, 1 full-time
Baulkham Hills, 1 full-time
Bega , 1 part-time
Blacktown, 3 full-time
Bondi, 1 full-time
Bourke, 1 part-time
Broken Hill, 1 full-time
Brunswick Heads, 1 full-time
Canterbury, 6 full-time
Caringbah, 1 full-time
Liverpool, 9 full-time
Cessnock, 1 full-time
Charlestown, 3 full-time
Coffs Harbour, 2 full-time
Cooma, 1 part-time
Corrimal, 1 full-time
Cowra, 1 part-time
Dapto , 1 full-time
Darlinghurst, 1 full-time
Dubbo, 2 full-time, 1 part-time
Ettalong, 1 full-time
Gosford, 2 full-time
Goulburn, 1 full-time
Grafton, 2 full-time
Griffith, 1 part-time
Hawkesbury, 1 full-time
Hornsby, 1 full-time
Hurstville, 2 full-time
Katoomba, 1 full-time
Kempsey, 1 full-time
Newcastle, 1 full-time
Lakehaven, 1 full-time
Leeton, 1 part-time
Leichhardt, 1 full-time
Lismore, 1 full-time
Lithgow, 1 full-time
Macarthur, 6 full-time
Maitland, 2 full-time
Maroubra, 1 full-time
Marrickville, 1 full-time
Mayfield, 1 full-time
Merrylands, 2 full-time
Moree, 1 full-time
Mount Druitt, 3 full-time
Mudgee, 1 full-time
Muswellbrook, 1 full-time
Nambucca Heads, 1 full-time
Narooma, 1 part-time
Nelson Bay, 1 full-time
Northern Beaches, 1 full-time
Nowra, 2 full-time
Orange, 1 full-time
Parkes, 1 full-time
Parramatta, 2 full-time
Penrith, 2 full-time
Port Macquarie, 2 full-time
Queanbeyan, 1 full-time
Redfern, 2 full-time
Rockdale, 1 full-time
Ryde , 1 full-time
Shellharbour, 2 full-time
Springwood, 1 full-time
St Mary’s, 2 full-time
Sutherland, 1 full-time
Tamworth, 2 full-time
Taree, 2 full-time
Toronto, 1 full-time
Tweed Heads, 2 full-time
Ulladulla, 1 part-time
Wagga Wagga, 1 full-time, 2 part-time
Walgett, 1 full-time
Wallsend, 2 full-time
Wollongong, 2 full-time
Wyong, 1 full-time
Young, 1 part-time

Victoria

Ararat/Stawell, 1 full-time
Ballarat, 2 full-time
Bendigo, 3 full-time
Box Hill, 2 full-time
Broadmeadows, 3 full-time
Camberwell, 1 full-time
Cheltenham, 1 full-time
Cranbourne, 2 full-time
Dandenong, 2 full-time
Darebin, 4 full-time
Echuca, 1 full-time
Epping, 2 full-time
Essendon, 1 full-time
Fitzroy, 2 full-time
Footscray, 1 full-time
Fountain Gate, 1 full-time
Frankston, 1 full-time
Geelong, 4 full-time
Newmarket, 1 full-time
Glen Waverley, 1 full-time
Greensborough, 2 full-time
Heidelberg, 2 full-time
Horsham, 1 full-time
Knox , 3 full-time
Lilydale, 2 full-time
Melton, 1 full-time
Mildura, 1 full-time
Moreland, 2 full-time
Mornington, 2 full-time
Morwell, 1 full-time
Newport, 1 full-time
Oakleigh, 2 full-time
Richmond, 1 full-time
Ringwood, 2 full-time
Sale , 1 full-time
Seymour, 1 full-time
Shepparton, 3 full-time
South Melbourne, 1 full-time
Springvale, 2 full-time
Sunbury, 1 full-time
Sunshine, 2 full-time
Wangaratta, 2 full-time
Warragul, 1 full-time
Warrnambool, 1 full-time
Watergardens, 2 full-time
Werribee, 2 full-time
Windsor, 3 full-time

Tasmania

Devonport, 1 full-time
Hobart 10 full-time
Mowbray, 3 full-time

South Australia

Berri , 1 full-time
Ceduna, 1 full-time
Adelaide, 1 full-time (2 relief)
Elizabeth, 2 full-time
Enfield, 2 full-time
Gawler, 1 full-time
Glenelg, 1 full-time
Kadina, 1 full-time
Kilkenny, 2 full-time
Marion, 2 full-time
Modbury, 2 full-time
Mount Gambier, 1 full-time
Mount Barker, 1 full-time
Murray Bridge, 1 full-time
Noarlunga, 3 full-time
Norwood, 1 full-time
Parkside, 1 full-time
Port Adelaide, 2 full-time
Port Augusta, 1 full-time, 1 part-time
Port Lincoln, 1 full-time
Port Pirie, 1 full-time
Salisbury, 3 full-time
Torrensville, 1 full-time
Victor Harbor, 1 full-time
Whyalla , 1 full-time

Western Australia

Albany, 1 full-time
Armadale, 1 full-time
Broome, 2 full-time
Bunbury, 1 full-time
Cannington, 2 full-time
Carnarvon, 1 full-time
Derby, 1 full-time
Esperance, 1 full-time
Fremantle, 2 full-time
Geraldton, 2 full-time
Gosnells, 2 full-time
Innaloo, 1 full-time
Joondalup, 2 full-time
Kalgoorlie, 1 full-time
Karratha, 1 full-time
Kununurra, 1 full-time
Mandurah, 2 full-time
Midland, 3 full-time
Perth , 1 full-time (9 relief)
Mirrabooka, 3 full-time
Morley, 2 full-time
Northam, 1 part-time
Rockingham, 2 full-time
South Hedland, 1 full-time
Spearwood, 1 full-time
Victoria Park, 2 full-time

Northern Territory

Alice Springs, 6 full-time
Darwin, 9 full-time
Katherine, 3 full-time
Tennant Creek, 1 full-time

ACT

Belconnen, 1 full-time
Braddon, 1 part-time
Tuggeranong, 1 part-time
Woden, 1 part-time