Media Release by The Hon Jane Prentice MP

NDIS continues roll out across Cairns and Far North Queensland

Queenslanders living in Cairns and Far North Queensland will join more than 160,000 Australians already participating in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) from 1 July 2018.

Assistant Minister for Disability Services, Jane Prentice said the rollout of the NDIS across a number of Queensland regions, including Cairns, the Cassowary Coast, Tablelands, Croydon, Etheridge, Cape York and the Torres Strait, 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 Queensland 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 Queenslanders with disability.”

According to the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) Market Position Statement for Queensland, the number of people receiving disability support in the Cairns region is forecast to grow from 3,000 to 4,700 by 2020.

“The NDIS will also create more than 950 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 $150 million will be injected into the local Cairns and Far North Queensland economy as a result of the NDIS rolling out across Queensland.”

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.

Both LAC services and ECEI services will be delivered by Mission Australia in the Cairns Region.

Once fully implemented in 2020, the NDIS is expected to support about 91,000 people with disability in Queensland and about 460,000 people nationally. The NDIS is expected to boost the Queensland economy by $2.5 billion and bring up to 35,950 new jobs in disability services to Queensland.