I welcome the Prime Minister's announcement that the NDIS will be launched in up to four locations from July next year.
This is great news for people with disability in the Inner West and their carers. In February, the Prime Minister and I visited the Croydon-based disability service FRANS and heard strong support for this vital reform.
The Federal Government will fund its fair share of the cost of the initial stage of the NDIS in the upcoming Budget. The initial stage will cover about 20,000 people with profound disability from July 2014.
The launch will commence in the middle of next year - a full year ahead of the timetable set out by the Productivity Commission.
The current system isn’t delivering the kind of care and support that Australians expect for people with disability and their carers.
People with disability, their families and carers tell me they are tired of waking up every day to a broken system that doesn’t respond to their needs, and doesn’t give them choice or control.
People with disability have waited long enough for change. They’ve come together to tell us in one voice that it’s time to make an NDIS real, and we’ve heard their call.
I thank local supporters for their work in advocating for the NDIS, and call on everyone to keep up their good work.
Local disability advocates will keep telling their story and campaigning for change, and together we can make sure people with disability in our community are getting the care and support they deserve.