The Hodgman Liberal Government is committed to the full roll-out of the National Disability Insurance Scheme in Tasmania.
This week marks the trial’s second anniversary and it is extremely pleasing that as of the 31 March 2015, 977 young people aged between 15 and 24 have been found eligible for the scheme, 105% of target. This places us well on track to exceed the June 2016 target of 1000 participants.
From July 2016 Tasmania will begin transition to the full scheme which when reached is expected to provide support for approximately 10,600 Tasmanians. The trial in Tasmania has been extremely successful with participants in Tasmania reporting high levels of satisfaction, with 98 per cent of participants rating their experience with the Agency as ‘good’ or ‘very good.’
This week I have been fortunate to meet current and future NDIS participants in Hobart and at the Ministers Disability Advisory Council public forum in Launceston. It has been excellent to hear the difference that the NDIS has made to the lives of many Tasmanians. The NDIS provides participants freedom of choice and control over the support they receive, and assists them to achieve their goals and aspirations.
The people working on the implementation of the scheme deserve every bit of recognition they get - they’re delivering exceptional results and improving quality of life for many Tasmanians.
The 2015-16 Tasmanian Budget commits $92.8 million to the NDIS over the next four years, and it is estimated that Tasmania will contribute $232 million in total by 2019-20 when the scheme is fully implemented.
Today also marks the launch of a new name and branding for one of Tasmania’s largest specialist disability service providers.
Optia Incorporated has undertaken a large scale project to better position itself for the full roll out of the NDIS. From today they will be known as ‘Possability’ - a service which is passionate about better engagement with and meeting the needs of clients.
Congratulations to Possability CEO Glenn Campbell and his team. It is inspiring to see organisations that continually push to excel and provide the most professional operation possible.
The NDIS is revolutionising the way disability services are delivered and will provide specialist disability service providers with a wide range of benefits and opportunities. Organisations in Tasmania are embracing the changes that the NDIS delivers and maximising on the benefits presented.
The Tasmanian Government remains committed to working closely with the Tasmanian Disability Sector, the National Disability Insurance Agency, the Commonwealth Government and other key stakeholders as we move forward to full transition to the full scheme.