More support for people with disability in Northern Territory

People with disability in the Northern Territory will receive better and more support with the roll out of additional services.

The Turnbull Government will provide $14.8 million to fund Local Area Coordination (LAC) services and Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) services for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in the Darwin, Litchfield and Palmerston government areas.

Local Area Coordinators link people to the NDIS and provide information and support to people with disability and their families and carers. ECEI services provide similar services to assist children with developmental delay or disability.

The Turnbull Government has fully funded the NDIS, and these services will enable children and people with disability in the Territory to achieve their potential and access quality services.

The NDIS is expected to support more than 6,500 people in the Northern Territory and about 460,000 people nationally when it is fully implemented in 2020. The Scheme is also expected to boost the Northern Territory economy by $160 million, and create up to 1,325 new jobs in disability services in the Territory.

APM will receive approximately $9.9 million (excluding GST) to deliver LAC services to people with disability aged 7 and older.

The Australian Early Childhood Association Northern Territory (ECA-NT) will receive approximately $3.5 million (excluding GST) to deliver ECEI services to children aged 0-6.

The NDIS is currently available in the East Arnhem, Barkly, Darwin Remote and Katherine regions. The NDIS and Partners will commence the roll out of the NDIS in the Darwin Urban and Central Australia Regions (covering the Alice Springs, Central Desert and MacDonnell government areas) from 1 July 2018.