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Queensland announces it's first NDIS sites: Townsville, Charters Towers and Palm Island

Queensland with 'ndis' in it.Queenslanders have been waiting a long time to hear about when the NDIS will come to the sunshine state. On September 25, the Commonwealth and Queensland Governments told the public that Queensland will have three trial sites starting in January 2016 - six months before the full roll out begins in July. 

The trial sites in Queensland will be in: 

  • Townsville (for eligible people under 18)
  • Charters Towers (for eligible people under 18)
  • Palm Island (for eligible people under 65)

The early transition is available to those who meet the NDIS access requirements, including people who do not currently receive supports from the government.

These trial sites could help about 1,600 people. The NDIS thinks that 600 of these people will become participants before July 2016, and 1,000 people after that date. July 2016 is when the full NDIS roll out will start, but Queensland and the Federal Government have not signed the bilateral agreements yet, so we don't know what the full roll out in QLD will look like yet. We'll tell you as soon as we know more.

If you or someone you know lives in one of these areas, and is the right age to apply to become an NDIS participant, now is a good time to start getting familiar with the NDIS. We recommend some websites and resources to help get you started:

  • Disability Loop has a section on the NDIS to help you understand the basics
  • The NDIS in QLD page on the NDIS website has lots of good information, including fact sheets and links
  • A calendar of NDIS events in Queensland 
  • Resources on Disability Loop give you a selection of the best NDIS resources we have found, grouped by categories to help you find what you need more easily
  • You can also call the NDIS on 1800 800 110 or visit the NDIS website

 

Here are some links to news articles that have talked about this:

First three Qld NDIS sites announced
9 News, September 25

Townsville, Charters Towers, Palm Island chosen as NDIS trial sites in north Queensland
ABC News, September 25

Queensland Govt to roll out NDIS trial sites for disabled youth (audio, transcript)
ABC The World Today, September 25

NDIS set to improve lives of Northern Queenslanders
My Sunshine Coast, September 25

Government announces scheme expansion
Insurance Business Online, September 29