Early Roll Out of NDIS in NSW
21 May 2015 at 10:56 am
The Federal and NSW Governments have signed an agreement to begin the early rollout of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in parts of Western Sydney.
Federal Assistant Minister for Social Services Mitch Fifield and NSW Minister for Disability Services John Ajaka signed the agreement at an NDIS service provider forum attended by more than 150 representatives from some 50 local youth disability organisations.
The Governments said the agreement will bring the NDIS to the Nepean Blue Mountains region a year ahead of the NDIS schedule.
“This agreement will deliver the NDIS to about 2,000 children with disability and their families in Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains,” Minister Fifield said.
Minister Ajaka said that the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding is the next step in delivering a major NSW Government election commitment to bring the NDIS to the Nepean Blue Mountains a year ahead of schedule.
“I am delighted that NSW was the first state to sign up to the NDIS and is now the first state to rollout the Scheme beyond the current trial sites.”
“This early rollout will allow much needed early intervention, and other services, to start flowing to people with disability, their families and carers from September,” Ajaka said.
Under the agreement, young people with disability in the Penrith and Blue Mountains area and their families, will be able to work with Local Area Coordinators from July 2015 to get ready for the NDIS, and will start to work with planners to create their individualised funding package from September.
Ministers Fifield and Ajaka said the Federal and NSW Governments were working closely to finalise the details of the broader rollout of the NDIS across the rest of the State from 2016.
Funding for the early roll-out was included in last week’s Federal Budget with the Federal Government committing $20 million to the plan.
The Budget also included funding for a new ICT system that will provide the NDIA with the capabilities to roll out the scheme around Australia.
The Government said the new ICT system is estimated to cost $143 million over four years and will be provided by the Department of Human Services, enabling the NDIS to utilise DHS’s existing technology platforms.
The NDIA will hold an industry information session for the ICT market about the Agency’s ICT strategy in June 2015.
The Budget also revealed that responsibility for the Sector Development Fund (SDF) is to transfer from the National Disability Insurance Agency to the Department of Social Services.
The Federal Government said the transfer would allow the NDIA to focus on implementing the roll-out of support packages for people with a disability.
