Sydney’s west celebrates NDIS announcement

The Minister for Disability Reform, Jenny Macklin, joined the Federal Member for Greenway, Michelle Rowland, in Western Sydney today to celebrate the announcement that the National Disability Insurance Scheme will be a reality for local residents by 2018.

Ms Macklin and Ms Rowland met with local children with disability and their parents at William Rose School in Seven Hills to discuss the work underway to build the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

“The Prime Minister’s announcement that we will start rolling out the National Disability Insurance Scheme across New South Wales is really welcome news for people with disability, their families and carers here in Sydney’s west,” Minister Macklin said.

“It means that by 2018, about 140,000 people with disability across the state will finally get the care and support we all know they deserve.

“The families we’ve met today are really excited about what a National Disability Insurance Scheme will mean for them and their children. They know better than anyone that the system needs to change, and they are really pleased that Federal Labor and the NSW Government have agreed to make this reform a reality.”

Under the scheme, people with disability in Western Sydney will:

• work with local people and with their families and carers to identify their plans and goals for the future;
• be assessed to receive individualised care and support packages;
• be assisted by local coordinators to help manage and deliver their support; and
• access a system they can easily navigate and will link them to mainstream and community services.

Ms Rowland said local residents had shown their strong support for an NDIS.

“I’ve been lobbying really hard for the National Disability Insurance Scheme to come to our area because I know local people with disability have waited long enough for change,” Ms Rowland said.

“For local people with disability, this means more control over their lives, more certainty they’ll get the care and support they need, and more opportunities for them to be involved in our community.

“We can finally start saying goodbye to the cruel lottery that says the level of care you receive depends on what your disability is, how you acquired it and where you live.”

Ms Rowland also paid tribute to the local disability advocates who have campaigned for the National Disability Insurance Scheme to come to Western Sydney.

“People with disability, their families, carers and advocates have been making phone calls, sending emails and knocking on doors to push the case for the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

“I’ve heard them loud and clear and I’ve taken their message to Canberra. Today, we can see that all our hard work has paid off.”

The full roll out of the National Disability Insurance Scheme across the state builds on the launch in the Hunter region, which starts in the middle of next year. Other eligible New South Wales residents will start entering the scheme in 2016, and by July 2018, all eligible residents will be covered by the NDIS.

Under the agreement:

• The Commonwealth will provide funding of $3.32 billion in 2018 – 51.4 per cent of the funding needed. This will contribute to the cost of individual care and support packages and other supports for people with disability, their carers and their families, and cover the administration of the scheme.
• New South Wales will provide around $3.13 billion in 2018 – 48.6 per cent of the funding needed. This will contribute to the cost of individual packages and other supports for people with disability, their carers and their families.

An NDIS will also be launched in South Australia, Tasmania, the Barwon region of Victoria and the ACT.