Waiting for Fairy Godmother--intellectual disability in Australia

Since 1977 there have been at least 10 significant government reports on intellectual disability in Australia. Seven of the reports recommended major changes in the structure and organisation of service planning and delivery involving separation of services from health or mental health administrations. None of these recommendations has been implemented yet. This paper describes the process of the development of those reports, with particular attention to Victoria, and provides some suggestions why implementation has been so problematical.