NATIONAL DISABILITY INSURANCE SCHEME

Mr SIBBONS (Mitchell) (15:24): The 1^st of July 2013 was not only the start of the new financial year, it was the start of a new and brighter future for South Australians who have disabilities and their families. SA is one of the six locations across the country to benefit from this week's launch of DisabilityCare Australia, the new National Disability Insurance Scheme. The national scheme is designed to enable people with disabilities to choose the specific services they need. I am proud to be part of a state Labor government that has stepped up, without hesitation, to embrace this huge, historic and crucial reform.

DisabilityCare is a whole new way to approach disability services and funding. It is a whole new way of thinking about our responsibilities and our commitment to those people in our community who live with permanent disabilities. The scheme will deliver a lifelong approach to supporting people with a disability through community linkage and individually tailored funding. This means that, rather than providing support based on the number of places in a limited number of programs, the scheme will provide funding so that people can get the support they need based on their individual needs now, as well as relating to their goals for the future.

Children currently in disability support programs aged from birth to two years will be the first group to access the scheme in South Australia, with children up to five years entering the scheme before July 2014. From July 2014, the age limit will be extended to 13 years and in the third year of the scheme all children up to 14 years will be included. Over the coming 12 months, approximately 1,500 children from metropolitan and regional areas will be included in the scheme. That number is likely to expand to more than 5,000 young South Australians aged from birth to 14 by the end of 2015-16. By July 2018, all eligible SA residents, approximately 33,000 people, will be covered.

The 2013-14 state budget sets out South Australia's full funding commitment of $3.6 billion over six years in preparation for the full commencement of DisabilityCare in 2018. This includes an additional $108 million in the budget period for disability services, continuing the state government's commitment to improving the lives of people with disabilities. This follows last year's budget commitment of $212.5 million, which was the single biggest investment in disability services in the state's history.

The budget also includes $7.5 million for disability accommodation, as part of the Affordable Housing Stimulus Package. The $108 million funding includes $105.3 million over five years for disability support services and $2.5 million in 2012-13 for equipment. The extra funding for disability services in this year's budget will support more than 580 additional people through support packages that can be used for a range of services. These include day options, respite, therapy and supported accommodation. It will enable more than 2.4 million hours of additional services to be provided over four years.

DisabilityCare Australia is being rolled out stage by stage due to the scale of the change to the current system. It is also a permanent change so it needs to be introduced in a sustainable way. By the time the scheme is fully operational it is expected to provide care and the dignity of choice to around half a million people from across Australia. It will give people with a disability more independence and control and more opportunities, whether in education, work or community life.

DisabilityCare is one of the most significant social reforms in Australia in many years. As with the introduction of the aged pension in 1909 and Medicare (as Medibank) in 1975, it has again taken a Labor government to introduce a National Disability Insurance Scheme. I am proud to be a part of such a tradition of true Labor values that seek to make our society a fairer, more inclusive place. I welcome the launch of DisabilityCare in South Australia and I look forward to the positive changes this will bring to many lives.