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Historic disabilities agreement “the biggest social reform since Medicare” NSW Disabilities Minister Andrew Constance visited Penrith on Monday, smiling from ear to ear over news that an agreement on the National Disability Insurance Scheme had been reached.. CASSANDRA O CONNOR
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t has been heralded as “the biggest social reform since Medicare” and now NSW has become the fi rst State to agree with the Federal Government on the terms for a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Visiting Nepean Area Disabilities Organisation (NADO) on Monday morning, State Disabilities Minister, Andrew Constance, praised both levels of government for their cooperation and determination to reach an agreement that will benefit over 100,000 people with disability across the state. “Negotiations were very quiet and done behind closed doors. We worked very hard to get through some of the challenges that were posed by Treasuries on both sides, and now I am happy to announce that the NDIS will be rolled out in 2018,” Mr Constance said. “I have not stopped smiling since the announcement was made last week.” Though there are some fi ner details to still work out, under the agreement, the Commonwealth will provide funding to the tune of $3.32 billion in 2018 and the State Government will provide around $3.13 billion in 2018. “Currently our funding is around $2 billion so imagine what tripling that funding will be able to achieve... and that’s not a one-off payment, that will be for each year after with the funding actually increasing over time,” Mr Constance said. Under the scheme, people with disability in western Sydney will be assessed to receive individualised care and support packages and be assisted by
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An unprecedented revolution
Jeremy Roberts, Maureen Walker, Tricia Hitchen, Disabilities Minister Andrew Constance, Penrith MP Stuart Ayres, and NADO CEO Denise Heath.
local coordinators who will help manage and deliver their support. “The date of 2018 has been set because it will take time for us to learn from the launch site in the Hunter region, and it will take time to move people across to the new system,” Mr Constance explained. “Service providers like NADO will need to adjust to this entirely new approach – individualised care and support packages, and one of the greatest challenges we face is a shortage in staff – not just carers but physiotherapists, aides, all different services.” MP for Penrith, Stuart Ayres, thanked Mr Constance and NADO for their ongoing lobbying for better disabilities support. “Penrith really is the coalface of this industry. I have to thank all of you for your ongoing support to have the NDIS here in NSW and Andrew, because he is
so passionate about helping people with disabilities,” he said. “I think this is the biggest social reform since Medicare and I think it will be even bigger.” Denise Heath, CEO of NADO said her service is already transforming as the move towards individualised services occurs, with NADO recently establishing NADO Connect, a hub on Station Street bringing together services for disabled people. Michael Morris, whose son Samuel was the victim of a near drowning incident that left him with a range of severe disabilities and who has since founded the Samuel Morris Foundation, has welcomed the announcement. “Previously the system was actually quite discriminatory – if a child was severely disabled in a car accident the
costs associated with their treatment would be covered by insurance but for children like our son who may have suffered a disability from a near drowning, or were born with a disability, there has not been the support,” Mr Morris said. “We welcome the announcement because the NDIS should reduce waiting times for services and equipment that people with a disability need – currently it is not unheard of to be waiting for vital equipment for up to two years.” Federal Member for Lindsay, David Bradbury, said the NDIS agreement was great news for people with disability in western Sydney, their families and carers. “We can now put an end to the cruel lottery that says the level of care you receive depends on what your disability is, how you acquired it and where you live,” he said.
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