NDIS to Double Disability Services Workforce in QLD
12 May 2016 at 9:41 am
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is expected to create more than 13,000 new jobs in Queensland and double the disability services workforce in the next three years, according to new data.
The data is contained in a new analysis called the Market Position Statement, released by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA)
NDIA chief executive officer David Bowen said the statement was a specific tool to help current and prospective providers and market stakeholders prepare for the roll out of the NDIS in Queensland later this year.
“The NDIS will provide support to more than 91,000 people with disability in Queensland by 2020,” Bowen said.
“To achieve this, it is estimated that the size of the market for disability supports in Queensland will grow to $4.3 billion by 2020, an increase of $2.5 billion.
“This is a significant opportunity for organisations interested in providing supports to NDIS participants and for workers in these fields.
“It will also result in an increased demand for quality, value-for-money services for people with disability as well as new products and technologies.
Bowen said that developing the market to be able to deliver the increased level of disability services would take time, but that growth was already occurring.
“To date, about 130 organisations and individuals have applied to register as a provider of NDIS supports in Queensland. 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, information and communications technology, trades and builders,” Bowen said.
“In the Townsville region, provider feedback has been positive, with all of the 17 current and prospective providers the NDIA surveyed expressing intentions to grow and/or expand their services.”
Minister for Social Services Christian Porter said the report confirmed that the NDIS would not only transform the lives of tens of thousands of Queenslanders but also support jobs.
“The number of people receiving disability support in Queensland is forecast to grow from 47,900 to 91,200 in 2019 – an increase of 90 per cent. This will, in turn, generate jobs, fuel innovation and increase investment,” Porter said.
“The NDIS will inject $2.5 billion into the Queensland economy and double the disability services workforce. While it represents a big win for people living with disabilities, it will also benefit the entire state.”
More than 1,850 jobs are expected to be created in Beenleigh, 1,450 in Robina and 1,400 in Caboolture/Strathpine.
This is the third forecast statement released by the NDIA.
In April, the market position statement said Victoria would create 18,100 new jobs in the next three years as the NDIS was rolled out.
It said an estimated 14,850 to 18,100 jobs will be created as the NDIS completed its rollout in 2019 to 2020.
The statement also said that the disability services market in Victoria would expand from an estimated $2.6 billion to $5.1 billion in the same period.
The first statement issued in March forecast that the scheme would create a jobs and economic boom in New South Wales over the next three years.
It said the NDIS would generate up to 28,930 extra jobs and double the size of the disability services market to $6.8 billion, while supporting an estimated 64,000 more people with disability.
Western Sydney was expected to see the highest growth in the state, with approximately 8,000 more people with disability receiving support, an additional $400 million in funding for disability services and up to 3,300 more jobs created.
