By DANIELLE GALVIN AND NICOLE WILLIAMS
DISABILITY service provider Outlook is ‘absolutely delighted’ the Victorian Government has thrown its support, and funding, behind the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
Outlook CEO Tony Fitzgerald said the levy would provide around $3.2 billion annually, which would fund more than a third of the additional cost of the NDIS, also called DisabilityCare Australia.
“Congratulations to the Federal Government, the opposition and now the Victorian Government,” he said. “It looks like it will we have a national disability insurance scheme that will benefit every Australian. We are absolutely delighted.”
The agreement, signed between the state and federal governments on Saturday, will allow the full roll out of DisabilityCare Australia in Victoria by July 2019, including $2.5 billion in funding.
It follows an announcement by Prime Minister Julia Gillard and opposition leader Tony Abbot last week that a 0.5 per cent increase in the Medicare levy would see $244 million allocated to Victoria to assist with the cost of the scheme.
Mr Fitzgerald said in the last Census data, there were 13,800 with a disability in Cardinia Shire that require assistance from a family member or carer.
In Casey, there were 46,400 residents with a disability and 20,000 of those require assistance from a carer or family member.
Outlook president Edwin Hume said the scheme would be an important reform for the way that people view those with disabilities.
“The most important thing to see is the economic benefit of what the NDIS would bring to the community and at the local level that means more people in the workforce,” Mr Hume said.
Mr Hume said the NDIS wouldn’t be a drain on the taxpayer, and in fact it was quite the opposite.
Outlook had been campaigning for the NDIS and Mr Fitzgerald said this funding secured its future.
“People need to understand the NDIS is not only a critical social investment but an investment in the economy,” Mr Fitzgerald said.
“Anyone of us or our partner, our son or daughter, mother or father or best friend could acquire a disability at any time.
“In Victoria unless you unfortunately acquire a disability in a car accident and come under TAC insurance you are not covered.”
Mr Fitzgerald said the goal of the NDIS was to increase the economic and social participation which would result in increased productivity for the 410,000 Australians with a severe disability.
“The NDIS will support the capacity of Australians with a disability to work because it will provide the equipment or support that an adult with disability needs to get out of bed, out the door and into life and work,” he said.
“It will fund a support worker to ensure a person with disability receives care to shower every day, not twice a week as happens now.”
Mr Fiztgerald said the NDIS would pay for wheelchair repairs promptly so someone who can’t walk will not be stuck at home for months, unable to get to work or anywhere else.
“It will pay for a disabled child or adult to receive intensive early intervention to maximise their development and capacity for independent living,” he said.
“The NDIS will help more family members of Australians with disability work in paid employment because it will free them from providing 24/7, life-long support.”
