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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-07-01 Daily Xml
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National Disability Insurance Scheme

The Hon. A. PICCOLO (Light—Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (14:22): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. A. PICCOLO: Today marks one year since the beginning of the National Disability Insurance Scheme trial here in South Australia, an historic reform which will give people living on disability and their families hope for a better future. South Australia was the first state to sign up to the NDIS and one of the first to commit to the full rollout of this historic reform. This government is committed to social justice.

We have been working, over the past 12 years, to provide the services that people living with disability need to lead rich and fulfilling lives. The NDIS continues the government's commitment to disability services which has seen the state's total disability budget rise from just $123 million in 2002-03, when we entered government, to more than $550 million 2014-15 before reaching $723 million in preparation for the full implementation of the NDIS in 2018-19.

The first year of the trial included children aged zero to five, with over 1,000 South Australian children now receiving services of the National Disability Insurance Agency. I am pleased to inform the house that the most recent quarterly report shows that satisfaction among participants is high, and package prices are falling in line with predictions.

Despite some recent reluctance from the commonwealth government to honour the bilateral agreement, I am pleased that we now have reached an agreement paving the way for year two of the NDIS trial. This year the trial will expand to children aged under 14 years, covering thousands more children with disability. Children who currently receive disability services will be transitioned throughout the year, and children who have not previously received disability services can apply at any time to the NDIA to be part of the second-year trial.

This government is committed to the full rollout of the NDIS here in South Australia. This reform is something which governments across the country can be proud of. I am confident that the NDIS trial will continue to change the lives of people living with disability for the better. I encourage members who are interested in the second year transition in South Australia to visit the following website, www.ndis.gov.au, for further information.

Ms CHAPMAN: Point of order: if I may ask the minister to table the quarterly report that he has referred to in his ministerial statement.

The Hon. A. PICCOLO: Mr Speaker, the quarterly report is actually prepared by the NDIA, and it was published sometime ago. It is available on the website.

The SPEAKER: So it's readily available.

The Hon. A. PICCOLO: And I am sure your opposition spokesman would have known that, had you asked him.

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