Media Release by The Hon Jane Prentice MP

Loddon welcomes the NDIS

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) will roll out to residents of the Loddon region, including Greater Bendigo, Echuca, Kyneton and Kyabram, from 1 May – improving the lives of Victorians with disability and generating hundreds of jobs in the region.

The Hon Jane Prentice MP, Assistant Minister for Social Services and Disability Services, said it was an important day for the local community.

“The NDIS is a major shift in the way support is delivered to people with disability across Australia,” she said.

“It gives all Australians peace of mind that if their child or loved one is born with or acquires a permanent and significant disability they will get the support they need.”

According to the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) Market Position Statement for Victoria, the number of people receiving disability support in the Loddon area is forecast to grow from 4000 to 5300 in 2019.

The Loddon region spans Campaspe, Central Goldfields, Greater Bendigo, Loddon, Macedon Ranges and Mount Alexander.

Intereach will deliver Local Area Coordination (LAC) and Early Childhood Early Intervention Services in the Loddon region. Local Area Coordinators focus on participant capacity building, including plan development, implementation and review. ECEI services deliver outcomes for children and their families through best-practice and family-centred approaches.

Mrs Prentice said while people living with disability would be the primary beneficiaries, the NDIS will also deliver a social, economic and jobs dividend for the region.

“The NDIS will generate jobs and local investment and this will ensure people with disability have the assistance they need to help them achieve their goals,” she said.

“More than 800 new jobs will be created in the Loddon region over the coming years and an additional $180 million will be injected in to the local economy.”

The NDIS will boost the Victorian economy by $2.5 billion and bring more than 10,000 new jobs in disability services to the State.

The NDIS trial began in the Barwon region in 2013 and will transform the lives of 105,000 Victorians living with disability, as well as their families, carers and communities over the next three years.