The Federal Government has announced $1 billion in spending over four years to start the roll out of the first stage of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

 

The first stage will begin in mid-2013 and will provide care to an estimated 10,000 people living with a significant and permanent disabilities in up to four locations across the country, from mid-2014, the NDIS will be expanded to cover up to 20,000 people.

 

The spending announced in the Budget was:

  • $342.5 million over three years from July next year for individually funded packages for people with significant and permanent disability.
  • $154.8 million over three years from July next year to employ Local Area Coordinators to provide an individualised approach to delivering care and support to people with a disability.
  • $58.6 million over three years from July next year to assess the needs of people with a disability in the launch locations.
  • $122.6 million over four years to start preparing the disability sector for the new way of delivering disability services. Building the capacity of disability organisations to adjust to an NDIS is critical to success, particularly in the launch locations in the first stage of roll out.
  • $240.3 million over four years to build and operate an NDIS information technology system.
  • $53 million over four years to establish a new National Disability Launch Transition Agency to coordinate implementation and manage the delivery of care and support to people with a disability and their carers in launch locations from 2013–14.