NDIS certainty for the people of Queensland
More than 91,000 Queenslanders living with disability now have certainty the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) will be rolled out across the state by 2019.
“It is great news that the Queensland government has finally agreed to dates and details for rolling out the full NDIS across the state,” Minister for Social Services, Christian Porter said.
“This will give Queenslanders living with disability much-needed certainty about when and where the NDIS will be implemented.
“This is a significant change for people with disability and the disability services sector, and that’s why we are introducing the scheme in stages to ensure that it is carefully managed,” Mr Porter said.
The NDIS is already operating in Townsville, Charters Towers and Palm Island, under an early transition that began on 1 January this year. The staggered introduction will continue from 1 July 2016, with further regions added to the scheme gradually over three years.
Assistant Minister for Disability Services, Jane Prentice, said that the NDIS will be fully implemented across the state by July 2019, providing individual support packages to Queenslanders with disability.
“Under the NDIS, Queensland participants will get lifelong individual support packages, with the right to select support and services that are appropriate for their lives,” Mrs Prentice said.
“This is one of the largest social policy reforms in Australia’s history – the NDIS empowers people with disability, helping them fulfil their aspirations and participate in community life.
“We can also assure Queenslanders living with disability that governments will provide continuity of support if they are already receiving services.”
Queenslanders can begin to request access to the NDIS according to the following timeline:
- Remaining children/young people in Townsville and Charters Towers from 1 July 2016
- Remaining Townsville population from 1 October 2016
- Mackay from 1 November 2016
- Toowoomba from 1 January 2017
- Ipswich from 1 July 2017
- Bundaberg from 1 October 2017
- Rockhampton from 1 January 2018
- Beenleigh, Cairns, Brisbane, Maryborough and Robina from 1 July 2018
- Caboolture/Strathpine and Maroochydore from 1 January 2019.
Mr Porter said six of Australia’s states and territories have now reached agreement with the Commonwealth on the full roll-out of the NDIS: Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, New South Wales, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory.
“Together, these agreements will cover more than two thirds of Australia, around 390,000 people with disability–approximately 85 per cent of the estimated 460,000 people who will access the NDIS nation-wide,” Mr Porter said.
“Productive discussions with the Northern Territory and Western Australia are continuing and the Commonwealth is committed to finalising agreements as soon as possible.
“The NDIS is being implemented on time, on budget and with high levels of participant satisfaction.”
The agreement with Queensland is another sign of our commitment to the NDIS, following yesterday’s announcement of a special ‘future fund’ to hold Commonwealth contributions.