NDIS Rollout Will Create Nearly 20,000 Jobs in Victoria

Victoria will create 18,100 new jobs in the next three years as the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is rolled out, according to new data.

The data was included in the latest Market Position Statement (MPS) by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA).

An estimated 14,850 to 18,100 jobs will be created as the NDIS completes its rollout in 2019 to 2020. The statement also said that the disability services market in the state will expand from an estimated $2.6 billion to $5.1 billion in the same period.

Federal Minister for Social Services, Christian Porter, described the news as an opportunity for Victoria to develop a competitive and innovative market that would receive significant financial investment.

“What this will look like on the ground is a 76 per cent boost to the disability services workforce and an additional $2.5 billion worth of expenditure into the local market,” Porter said.

“The Victorian market for disability supports is estimated to increase by about 35 per cent from 78,000 people to 105,000 in 2019. This will mean increased demand for quality, value-for-money services, new products and technologies, increased jobs and strong economic growth right across the state.”

Porter said that up to 2,950 new jobs will be created in South Melbourne, around 2,150 in Bayside Peninsula and up to 2,050 in Brimbank Melton.

He said that developing the market could take time but that it was already starting to grow.

“While there were about 650 registered service providers in Victoria at the end of last year, there are around 630 additional providers with registrations in progress. Some of these providers offer innovative and different types of services typically not associated with the disability sector such as fitness and sports, financial services, ICT, trades and builders,” Porter said.

The MPS will be expanded and developed as the NDIS’s evidence base grows. This edition focused on the North East Melbourne area as it would be one of the first regions to transition into the NDIS from 1 July.

The Assistant Minister for Disability Services, Jane Prentice, said that the North East Melbourne area represented 9,900 participants and was expected to grow $210 million in services, with a total value at approximately $490 million.

“One of the features of the North East Melbourne area is its diversity – 35 per cent of people are from a culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) background, compared to 28 per cent across Victoria,” Prentice said.

“This presents a unique opportunity for providers to develop culturally responsive support offerings to meet the needs of the local community.

“Provider readiness feedback has been positive, with almost half the providers the NDIA has spoken to in the North East Melbourne area having strong growth intentions and around a third having experience operating under the NDIS in the Barwon trial site.”

Prentice said that the MPS will assist providers to make business decisions about how they can adapt and grow within the new system.  

“The MPS aims to share information about the emerging NDIS in the marketplace, allowing providers to better understand areas of expected demand growth and the characteristics of particular markets,” she said. 

It has been estimated that the rollout of the NDIS in South Australia will create more than 6000 jobs, and would generate up to 28,930 extra jobs in NSW.

Market Position Statements for other jurisdictions will be published in the coming months.