The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is now being rolled out in East Gippsland and Wellington shires.
People living in these two local government areas will join more than 208,000 Australians already participating in NDIS.
The Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester said the NDIS would provide opportunities for the local community.
“The NDIS will provide additional support to people under 65 who have a permanent and significant disability,” Mr Chester said. “Each case will be different, but the NDIS will assist with personal care, transport and access to the community, allied therapies and equipment.”
Mr Chester said the NDIS was expected to create more than 350 jobs in Wellington and East Gippsland.
“The scheme will generate local investment as we ensure people with disability have the assistance they need to help them achieve their goals and participate in their local communities,” Mr Chester said.
“Over the coming years, an additional $70 million is expected to be injected into the local economy as a result of the NDIS rolling out across the state.”
Information sessions are now being held in Wellington and East Gippsland to help people with a disability, their families and carers to prepare for the scheme’s introduction. Details of the information sessions are available at lchs.com.au/news-and-media
Minister for Families and Social Services, Paul Fletcher said the rollout of the NDIS in Wellington and East Gippsland 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 Victoria,” Mr Fletcher said.
“The NDIS is one of the largest social policy reforms in Australia’s history and is already empowering more than 50,000 Victorians with disability.”
Once fully implemented, the NDIS is estimated to support about 105,000 people with disability in Victoria and an estimated 460,000 people nationally. The scheme is expected to boost the Victorian economy by $2.5 billion and the Victorian workforce is estimated to grow by up to 18,100.
According to the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) Market Position Statement for Victoria, the number of people receiving disability support in the two shires is forecast to grow from 1,500 to 2,300 by 2020.
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 Wellington and East Gippsland is Latrobe Community Health Service and the ECEI partner is Link Health and Community.
The rollout of the NDIS in Bass Coast, Baw Baw, Latrobe and South Gippsland local council areas began in October 2017.