NDIS continues to roll out across Adelaide

South Australians aged 18 to 64 years living in the Adelaide Hills, Western Adelaide and Eastern Adelaide regions will join more than 140,000 Australians already participating in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) from 1 April 2018.

Assistant Minister for Disability Services, Jane Prentice said the roll out of the NDIS in the three new South Australian regions was an important milestone for people with disability, their families, carers and the broader local community.

“I am pleased to announce the continued rollout of the NDIS in South Australia and I welcome people who are existing state clients and other eligible residents into the Scheme,” Mrs Prentice said.

“The NDIS is one of the largest social policy reforms in Australia’s history and is already empowering more than 15,000 South Australians with disability.”

According to the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) Market Position Statement for South Australia, the number of people receiving disability support in the Adelaide Hills, Western Adelaide and Eastern Adelaide is forecast to grow from 4,500 to 7,500 by 2019.

“The NDIS will also create more than 800 jobs locally and generate local investment which will ensure people with disability have the assistance they need to help them achieve their goals and participate in their local communities,” Mrs Prentice said.

“Over the coming years, an additional $140 million will be injected into the local economy as a result of the NDIS rolling out in the Adelaide Hills, Western Adelaide and Eastern Adelaide.”

The NDIA is working with Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) and Local Area Coordination (LAC) partners to deliver the NDIS in local communities across Australia. ECEI and LAC partners help participants navigate the NDIS and connect them with other community services, where appropriate.

LAC services will be delivered by Baptcare in the Eastern and Western Adelaide regions and Mission Australia in the Adelaide Hills, while the Department of Communities and Social Inclusion will continue to deliver ECEI services in all three regions.

Once fully implemented in 2019, the NDIS is expected to support about 32,300 people with disability in South Australia and about 460,000 people nationally. The NDIS is expected to boost the South Australian economy by $740 million and bring more than 5,000 new jobs in disability services to the State.