Russell Matheson (Macarthur, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to celebrate the historic signing of the National Disability Insurance Scheme by the Commonwealth, New South Wales and Victorian governments in Canberra. I also acknowledge the members for Dobell, Chifley, Wills and Higgins, of whom the first two are from New South Wales and the last two from Victoria.

The NDIS is one of the largest social policy reforms in Australia's history, and yesterday was a huge milestone in its delivery, illustrating the government's unwavering commitment to delivering the scheme in full. Yesterday's signing has been years in the making and gives certainty to more than half of the eligible population in Australia that people with a disability and their families will benefit from the NDIS.

The coalition is committed to delivering the NDIS in full, and we have given our full support from day one, from the work of the Productivity Commission to the legislation and establishment of trial sites. By 2019-20 the Commonwealth and the states and territories will be jointly spending around $22 billion to implement the NDIS in full.

In the two years since the scheme's operations commenced, 19,817 participants have become eligible for the scheme, in line with expectations. Of these participants, 17,303 had approved plans at a total cost of $953 million, which was consistent with the original cost estimates, so the scheme is therefore on budget. Most importantly, however, client satisfaction is at over 90 per cent.

This scheme is going to be fantastic for people with disabilities in my electorate of Macarthur, who do not have to wait long, thanks to the government's consistent support for and dedication to this scheme. In this year's budget we announced $143 million to build a new ICT system for the full scheme, and we are committing nearly $700 million for the NDIS this year alone. This financial year the government is investing $20 million in Western Sydney to deliver the NDIS early for 2,000 children and young people.

I am delighted to announce that my electorate of Macarthur is part of the 2016-17 rollout, which builds on the existing NDIS trial site in the Hunter area and the transition that commenced in the Blue Mountains, the Hawkesbury, Lithgow and Penrith in July this year. The NDIS will become available in the South Western Sydney district, which covers the local government areas of Camden, Campbelltown and Wollondilly, from July 2016.

The aim of the NDIS is simple but profound: to provide all Australians who acquire a permanent and significant disability before the age of 65 with the reasonable and necessary support they need to live a life of inclusion. The NDIS takes a flexible whole-of-life approach to working with participants and their families and carers to develop individualised plans. The NDIS provides more choice and control over how, when and where their supports are provided. Participants are introduced to an individual planner who will discuss the individual's needs, goals and aspirations before constructing a support plan to cover a 12-month period based on what the needs of the person and their family are.

The virtue of this scheme is that it is designed to take into account both the participants and their families and carers, who are vital for each other. Also, reviewing the individual's plan every 12 months means that as the needs of the individual change so does the plan, ensuring that a person receives the appropriate services and support as they develop and grow.

The NDIS aims at filling in the gaps of services that people with disabilities are not already accessing. It works to connect participants with community and mainstream supports, and in Macarthur there are many well-established organisations, such as Macarthur Disability Services, who will be important in helping people prepare for the NDIS.

If required, the NDIS will also fund reasonable and necessary supports that help the participant achieve their goals, such as therapies, equipment, home modifications, mobility equipment, taking part in community activities or assistance with employment. The NDIS, for instance, will now help fund vehicle modifications, which were not available previously, and is going to be of enormous benefit to families, who will be able to live their lives as they want to, free from previous logistic or financial limitations.

With the NDIS, the individual and their family and carers have the power. This is a radical departure from the welfare model of disability as well as conventional thinking about how best to support carers. The NDIS represents a new dawn for people living with a disability in Macarthur and throughout the country. It will benefit the participants, and their families and carers too, as it leads to greater independence and participation. I sincerely hope that this historic scheme will remove the barriers to equality and opportunity that currently exist for people with disabilities. In all sincerity, I acknowledge the bipartisan approach to the NDIS by all members of this House.