The Pulse Geeloong Radio with Daniel Santopietro
SANTOPIETRO:
Good morning Senator.
FIFIELD:
Good morning Daniel.
SANTOPIETRO:
Ok, so Minister, what are the significant problems?
FIFIELD:
Well, when we came into Government last year, I thought it was prudent to ask the Board of the Agency to assure me that they had the capability to successfully undertake the full roll out of the scheme.
In response to that they commissioned Peter Acton, Jeff Harmer and Jeff Whalan to undertake a capability review of the NDIS Agency. And what they found was both inspiring and sobering.
It was inspiring because there are now thousands of Australians who are getting the better deal they deserve. And inspiring because the incredible staff of the NDIS Agency have got the scheme launched. They put in an incredible effort. But the report is also sobering, because the theme that runs through it is that the decision of the former government to bring forward the commencement of trial sites by a year has fundamentally compromised some of the key capabilities of the Agency which are needed for the full national rollout.
SANTOPIETRO:
Could you say that these problems are teething issues? It’s only been not even a year since the trial sites began. Could they be teething issues?
FIFIELD:
I think there are two separate issues here. One is the trial sites themselves, and the staff of the Agency have done an incredible job getting those launched. And part of the purpose of the trial sites in Geelong and the Hunter Valley, South Australia and Tasmania, was to learn lessons before the full national roll out.
The second issue is the full national roll out itself. And what the Review has found is that the staff of the Agency are, understandably, so focussed on the trials that they haven’t had the opportunity to learn the lessons from those trials. But they also haven’t had the opportunity to lay the foundations for the full national roll out.
Now, that is in no way, shape or form, a reflection on the staff of the Agency. It’s a reflection on the fact that the timeframe for the commencement of the scheme has been incredibly compressed. The Productivity Commission recommended that the scheme start in the middle of this year. The previous government brought that forward so that it would commence in the middle of last year, before the Federal Election. And that has compromised the Agency’s capacity and ability to do the planning necessary for the full national roll out.
SANTOPIETRO:
And do you believe that it has been rushed to be begun a year early?
FIFIELD:
There’s no doubt that bringing the start date for launch forward by a year meant that there was a lot of planning which should have happened before launch that didn’t occur. It meant that the staff of the Agency were put under incredible pressure. And I take my hat off to the staff of the Agency who really put in a herculean effort to get the trial sites ready to launch by the middle of last year.
But bringing launch forward by a year has meant that the ICT system put in place was the best available at short notice, but it wasn’t fit for purpose. Bringing the launch forward by a year meant that the Board, who were appointed to run the Agency, they actually started on the same day that the trial sites commenced, whereas the Productivity Commission said they really should have been in place a year beforehand. So the upshot is that the capability is weaker than it otherwise would have been.
But the most important thing – if you want to see the scheme fully rolled out, which I do, and which I’m determined to see happen – the most important thing is to have an honest assessment of the capability of the Agency so that there can be an understanding as to why issues have arisen. And that will provide the ability to lay sound foundations for the full national scheme.
SANTOPIETRO:
And does that mean the possibility of the full roll out being delayed?
FIFIELD:
Well, the Board of the NDIS Agency is going to provide advice as to any implications for their ability to do a full national roll out in the target timeframe. But I hasten to add that the timeframe for implementation is embedded in a series of intergovernmental agreements between the Commonwealth and the states and territories, and there can’t be a change to that timeframe without negotiation and agreement of all jurisdictions. But we’ll have to await the advice of the Board, and I think that’s the appropriate thing. The Board wants to be prudent, so they’re going to provide that advice as to any implications for timeframe.
SANTOPIETRO:
The next stage of the launch sites will be in Western Australia, Northern Territory and the ACT and will occur on July first this year. How much more work needs to be done to sort out some of this problems, Senator?
FIFIELD:
The good news is that we are on track for trial sites to commence in the Northern Territory, Western Australia and the ACT on the first of July. The independent Review makes clear that an incredible effort has been put in to get the launch sites ready on the first of July last year and the first of July this year. Their main focus is the fact that there hasn’t been the ability and capacity for the Agency to simultaneously focus on laying the foundations for the full national roll out.
SANTOPIETRO:
And finally Senator, how important is the roll out of the NDIS in areas such as the Barwon Region here in Victoria?
FIFIELD:
Look, absolutely critical. And I think it’s a tremendous decision and full credit to Mary Wooldridge for pushing so hard, and Sarah Henderson pushing so hard to have Geelong and the Barwon as an NDIS trial site. It’s great for the region, but it’s also great because there’ll be the opportunity to learn lessons before we move to full national roll out.
SANTOPIETRO:
Senator Fifield, thanks so much for your time this morning.
FIFIELD:
Thanks indeed Daniel.