Media Release by Senator the Hon Jan McLucas

Designing the National Disability Insurance Scheme

Joint Media Release with:

  • Jenny Macklin MP, Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Minister for Disability Reform
  • Gai Brodtmann MP, Member for Canberra
  • Andrew Leigh MP, Member for Fraser

The Australian Government today announced three expert groups to help inform the design of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

The expert groups will work under the NDIS Advisory Group to help the Australian Government design a scheme that meets the lifetime care and support needs of people with significant and permanent disability.

Minister Macklin and Member for Fraser, Andrew Leigh today visited the Woden School for children with disabilities in Canberra to discuss the Gillard Government’s commitment to have an NDIS start in up to four locations from July 2013.

The Gillard Government is committed to delivering this fundamental reform to ensure people with significant and permanent disability receive lifetime care and support, regardless of how they acquired their disability.

We have been clear that we need the expert advice of people with disability, their families and carers to help design this scheme.

The expert groups include people with disability, their carers, advocates, service providers and other sector experts.

The expert group members bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to help people with disability, their families and carers, and the disability service sector, get ready for this change and to make sure the scheme works for them.

They will advise on the design of key elements of the scheme including eligibility and assessment, quality safeguards and standards and a national approach to choice and control for people with disability.

I congratulate the new expert group members on their appointment, and look forward to working with them over the next few months to lay strong foundations for a scheme we can all be proud of.

The expert groups are:

National Approach to Control and Choice

Jeff Harmer, NDIS Advisory Group (co-chair)

Fran Vicary, NDIS Advisory Group (co-chair)

Robbi Williams, Julia Farr Association

Kirsten Deane, National Disability and Carers Alliance

Lesley Hall, Australian Federation of Disability Organisations

Samantha Jenkinson, National Disability and Carer Council

Ara Cresswell, Carers Australia

Vicki O’Halloran, Somerville Community Services Darwin

Daniel Leighton, Inclusion Melbourne

Eligibility and Assessment

Rhonda Galbally, NDIS Advisory Group (co-chair)

Joan McKenna-Kerr, NDIS Advisory Group (co-chair)

Ros Madden, University of Sydney

Janet Dore, Transport Accident Commission

Robbi Williams, Julia Farr Association

Tim Moore, Carers Australia

Graeme Innes, Australia’s Disability Discrimination Commissioner

Frank Quinlan, Mental Health Council of Australia

Suzanne Lulham, New South Wales Lifetime Care and Support Authority

Lesley Hall, Australian Federation of Disability Organisations

Quality Safeguards and Standards

Lorna Hallahan, NDIS Advisory Group (co-chair)

Bruce Bonyhady, NDIS Advisory Group (co-chair)

Stephanie Gotlib, Children with Disability Australia

Margaret Reynolds

Marita Walker, Perth Homecare

Sally Robinson, Griffith University

Kevin Cocks, Queensland Anti-Discrimination Commissioner

Kelly Shay, United Voice