Sunshine Coast people will join more than 208,000 Australians already participating in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) from 1 January 2019.
Minister for Families and Social Services, Paul Fletcher, said the roll out of the NDIS across the Sunshine Coast region was an important milestone for people with disability, their families, carers and the broader local community.
“I am pleased to announce the continued rollout of the NDIS in Queensland,” Mr Fletcher said.
“The NDIS is one of the largest social policy reforms in Australia’s history and is already empowering more than 25,000 Queenslanders with disability.”
According to the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) Market Position Statement for Queensland, the number of people receiving disability support in the Sunshine Coast region is forecast to grow from 4,000 to 7,500 at full scheme.
Local member for [electorate], [first name] [surname] said the NDIS would provide opportunities for the local community.
“The NDIS is expected to create more than 1,200 jobs in the Sunshine Coast region and generate local investment which will ensure people with disability have the assistance they need to help them achieve their goals and particiapte in their local communities,” Mr/s [surname] said.
“Over the coming years, it is expected an additional $230 million will be injected into the local Sunshine Coast economy as a result of the NDIS rolling out across Queensland.”
The NDIA is working with Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) and Local Area Coordination (LAC) partners to deliver the NDIS in local communities across Australia. ECEI and LAC partners help participants navigate the NDIS and connect them with other community services, where appropriate.
The LAC partner for the Sunshine Coast region is Carers Queensland, and the ECEI partner is BUSHkids.
Once fully implemented, the NDIS is estimated to support about 91,000 people with disability in Queensland and an estimated 460,000 people nationally. The Scheme is expected to boost the Queensland economy by $2.5 billion and the Queensland workforce is estimated to grow by up to 19,400.