A REPORT on the National Disability Insurance Scheme’s progress was handed down last Wednesday, two years after the scheme launched in the Hunter.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
About 4300 Newcastle and Lake Macquarie residents have signed up to the NDIS and are accessing disability support services through individual funding plans.
The average amount being spent on each person is $40,800 a year.
The report indicates the scheme is being delivered on time and within budget.
‘‘Our [the National Disability Insurance Agency’s] progress has been encouraging,’’ the report reads.
‘‘We are on track on our long journey to provide the best support to people with a disability.’’
However, the report highlights there is more work to do to provide the right level of support to people with different backgrounds, experiences and needs.
‘‘We need strong links with mainstream services such as health and education to make sure people can get the training and support they need to maximise their social and economic participation and independence,’’ it said.
The NDIS was introduced by the Gillard government in July 2013 across four trial sites in four states - NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania.
A year later, it was rolled out in Western Australia, the ACT and the Northern Territory.
Last Wednesday, the scheme was introduced in a third Hunter local government area - Maitland - opening it up to another 5000 residents.
The full scheme will be rolled out progressively across the nation from July next year.