Media 2007-08-08 Shannon Park Scope Facility

Shannon Park is a facility in the Geelong area that provides specialised services to the severely, multiply disabled. Scope (formerly the Spastic Society) has recently decided to sell part of the Shannon Park site.

Peter Kavanagh, Democratic Labor Party Member for Western Victoria last night in parliament asked Mr. Gavin Jennings as representative for the new Minister for Community Services, Lisa Neville, for assurances as to the future service levels to be provided by Shannon Park.


"My question is for the Minister for Community Services in the other house and relates to Shannon Park, a facility for the disabled in Greater Geelong run by Scope, formerly known as the Spastic Society of Victoria. In previous decades Shannon Park was an outstanding leader in its field. Because of long‑term policies, however, to integrate the disabled into the community Shannon Park has been in relative decline. The multiply severely disabled are not in a position to benefit from community integration. Today around 28 multiply severely disabled people receive specialised care and therapies at Shannon Park. Scope has announced plans to sell much of the Shannon Park site, and although Scope has undertaken to retain services at Shannon Park its reassurances are less than iron clad and not entirely reassuring to the people at Shannon Park or their parents. The parents of the patients at Shannon Park are gravely concerned about the future of Shannon Park, including the hydrotherapy pool, which Shannon Park offers, the sensory garden and continuing lifestyle options program. What assurances can the minister give to Shannon Park's multiply severely disabled patients and their parents that Shannon Park's specialised facilities and services will continue at Shannon Park into the future?"


For further comment please call Peter Kavanagh on 03 5222 1503.