❓ The Premier outlines the agreement reached with the Commonwealth regarding the NDIS trial in WA, detailing the two trial models, funding arrangements, and the number of participants. He emphasizes WA's unique disability service model and the benefits of the agreement for people with disabilities.
AnsweredQoN 362Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
NATIONAL DISABILITY INSURANCE SCHEME — WESTERN AUSTRALIAN TRIAL
362. Ms A.R. MITCHELL to the Premier:
I note the announcement that the Premier and the Prime
Minister have negotiated a trial of the National Disability Insurance Scheme to
be rolled out in Western Australia. Could the Premier please inform the house
how many people will be eligible to participate and how our state's
trial is unique compared with the rest of Australia?
362. Ms A.R. MITCHELL to the Premier:
I note the announcement that the Premier and the Prime
Minister have negotiated a trial of the National Disability Insurance Scheme to
be rolled out in Western Australia. Could the Premier please inform the house
how many people will be eligible to participate and how our state's
trial is unique compared with the rest of Australia?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question.
This state government has always supported the principles of the National
Disability Insurance Scheme. Indeed, we played a constructive role in
negotiating some of the protocols between the commonwealth and the state at a
Council of Australian Governments meeting. However, there were issues. The
point of difference was not the criteria, the transparency, the transferability
and all the rest of it; the difference was that this state has quite a unique
disability provider service. It is well funded; it is better funded than those in
other states. In this state we spend around $700 million a year. Eighty per
cent of that funding is state government funding, not commonwealth funding.
Seventy per cent of that state money is distributed to people who need support
and services through community-based, not-for-profit organisations such as
Rocky Bay, the Centre for Cerebral Palsy and so on. There are many, many
organisations. That was the point of difference. When Prime Minister Kevin Rudd
was in Perth about 10 days ago, I spent well over an hour with him discussing
the NDIS and how we could reach agreement. I thank both him and the state and
federal bureaucracies for working intensely over the following week, right
through until Saturday of this past weekend, until we finally reached agreement.
That was confirmed when the Prime Minister rang me on Saturday night. It is a
good result for Western Australia, and it is a good result for people with a
disability and their families.
There will be two trials in Western
Australia. One will be based on the administrative arrangements of My Way, the
Western Australian scheme, and will adopt some of the principles of the NDIS.
The second will be a traditional trial of the DisabilityCare Australia model
along the lines of that provided in other states. The trial of the state scheme
will be around Busselton in the south west and some adjoining areas and around
Cockburn and Kwinana in the metropolitan area. The federal scheme will be
trialled in the Midland area, the foothills and perhaps some close rural areas.
What has been agreed is important. The trials will involve around 8 400 people,
with roughly 4 000 people in each trial. The funding for both trials will be
jointly funded by the state and the commonwealth. The state will contribute 60 per
cent of the funding for each trial and the commonwealth will contribute 40 per
cent. That is mutually agreed. That is the proper arrangement. I am also very
pleased that commonwealth and state officials will work on both trials and that
there will be an objective, independent assessment of it. I believe something
will be learnt from both trials. I am not saying that one or the other is
perfect, but I think something will be learnt. I expect that that will be
reflected in the way in which the full National Disability Insurance Scheme is
developed not only in this state, but also throughout the country. Most people
in this state would agree that what has been developed in Western Australia
over the past 20 to 30 years gives a high degree of decision making and local
management, choice for individuals, and the involvement of not-for-profit
community groups and all that they bring. I am pleased with the agreement. I
regret it has taken so long to be agreed but it has now been. It is a source of
great relief. I do not think anyone in public life wants to be debating or
arguing over an issue such as disability. I thank the Prime Minister and
officials from the Prime Minister's department. I also thank my
department, the state Minister for Disability Services' department and also,
at a federal level, Minister Jenny Macklin. Once everyone got together and
realised there were advantages in a trial that compared the two systems, a good
advance was made within seven days. It is a good result for this state and for
those people who have a disability.
This state government has always supported the principles of the National
Disability Insurance Scheme. Indeed, we played a constructive role in
negotiating some of the protocols between the commonwealth and the state at a
Council of Australian Governments meeting. However, there were issues. The
point of difference was not the criteria, the transparency, the transferability
and all the rest of it; the difference was that this state has quite a unique
disability provider service. It is well funded; it is better funded than those in
other states. In this state we spend around $700 million a year. Eighty per
cent of that funding is state government funding, not commonwealth funding.
Seventy per cent of that state money is distributed to people who need support
and services through community-based, not-for-profit organisations such as
Rocky Bay, the Centre for Cerebral Palsy and so on. There are many, many
organisations. That was the point of difference. When Prime Minister Kevin Rudd
was in Perth about 10 days ago, I spent well over an hour with him discussing
the NDIS and how we could reach agreement. I thank both him and the state and
federal bureaucracies for working intensely over the following week, right
through until Saturday of this past weekend, until we finally reached agreement.
That was confirmed when the Prime Minister rang me on Saturday night. It is a
good result for Western Australia, and it is a good result for people with a
disability and their families.
There will be two trials in Western
Australia. One will be based on the administrative arrangements of My Way, the
Western Australian scheme, and will adopt some of the principles of the NDIS.
The second will be a traditional trial of the DisabilityCare Australia model
along the lines of that provided in other states. The trial of the state scheme
will be around Busselton in the south west and some adjoining areas and around
Cockburn and Kwinana in the metropolitan area. The federal scheme will be
trialled in the Midland area, the foothills and perhaps some close rural areas.
What has been agreed is important. The trials will involve around 8 400 people,
with roughly 4 000 people in each trial. The funding for both trials will be
jointly funded by the state and the commonwealth. The state will contribute 60 per
cent of the funding for each trial and the commonwealth will contribute 40 per
cent. That is mutually agreed. That is the proper arrangement. I am also very
pleased that commonwealth and state officials will work on both trials and that
there will be an objective, independent assessment of it. I believe something
will be learnt from both trials. I am not saying that one or the other is
perfect, but I think something will be learnt. I expect that that will be
reflected in the way in which the full National Disability Insurance Scheme is
developed not only in this state, but also throughout the country. Most people
in this state would agree that what has been developed in Western Australia
over the past 20 to 30 years gives a high degree of decision making and local
management, choice for individuals, and the involvement of not-for-profit
community groups and all that they bring. I am pleased with the agreement. I
regret it has taken so long to be agreed but it has now been. It is a source of
great relief. I do not think anyone in public life wants to be debating or
arguing over an issue such as disability. I thank the Prime Minister and
officials from the Prime Minister's department. I also thank my
department, the state Minister for Disability Services' department and also,
at a federal level, Minister Jenny Macklin. Once everyone got together and
realised there were advantages in a trial that compared the two systems, a good
advance was made within seven days. It is a good result for this state and for
those people who have a disability.
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