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What's going on with the NDIS rollout?

All Australian states & territories were due to sign agreements with the Federal Government by the end of June 2015. Then July. Then August. It's September now … what does this mean?

The NDIS will begin its full scheme rollout from July 2016. It will be available to every Australian in 2019 who is eligible.

It is expected that 460,000 people will be accessing the NDIS in 2019. This number is large compared to the almost 20,000 accessing the NDIS in the trial sites now. This planned growth of the scheme is very fast. This fast growth could make rolling out the scheme difficult to organise for the states & territories and the Federal Government.

People with disability and their supporters want the details of the planned NDIS rollout to be made clear.

We currently do not know the additional locations the NDIS will be available from after July 2016. People with disability really want to know this information. This is because the details of the rollout were meant to be known by June 2015 (then July, then August).

The federal and state and territory governments are still working out where and when the NDIS will be available from July 2016. This arrangement between governments is called a ‘bilateral agreement’. They are also negotiating the funding of the scheme to work out how each government will fund the NDIS.

The Every Australian Counts campaign is asking people to contact the Disability Minister in their state, asking them to ‘see it through’. This will encourage governments to sign the agreements and let people know about the NDIS rollout plans. Knowing these details will tell people the NDIS is on schedule, and that there are no plans for it to be delayed. It will also give people with disabilities, disability organisations and NDIS staff enough time to prepare for the NDIS.

Below are links to some of the news articles that have been written about it:

Advocates Call for NDIS Roll Out Plans
Pro Bono News, September 8

“It will be a big sigh of relief”: waiting for the NDIS roll out plans
Every Australian Counts, September 4

Any delays in the NDIS will not serve people with disabilities
Every Australian Counts, September 1

NDIS full rollout plan still underway
SBS, August 31

Shorten demands full rollout of NDIS
Sydney Morning Herald, August 30

States should delay signing NDIS bilateral agreements until workforce issues are addressed
Health Services Union Media Release, August 28

HSU urges NDIS delay amid workforce fears
News.com.au, August 27

The baby and the bathwater: let’s keep the NDIS but slow down its roll-out
The Conversation, August 27

The national disability scheme: waiting on an ironclad commitment
Australian Financial Review, August 22

Bill Shorten says government 'crab walking' away from NDIS
The Guardian, August 22

Senator Claire Moore asks Senator Mitch Fifield to tell us if the NDIS will be rolled on in full and on time (video, auto captions only, no transcript).
Senate Question Time, August 20

Disability Sector Demands PM End NDIS Speculation
Pro Bono News, August 20

NDIS rollout waiting on agreement with states (video, transcript here)
Sky News PM Agenda, August 19

Govt moves to quash rumours of 'Razor Gang' cuts and delays to NDIS roll-out (audio, transcript)
ABC News The World Today, August 18

Senator Zed Seselja asks Senator Mitch Fifeild about operating improvements to the NDIS (video, auto captions only, no transcript)
Senate Question Time, August 18

Senator Rachel Siewert asks Senator Mitch Fifield if the Expenditure Review Committee wants to delay the rollout of the NDIS (video, auto captions only, no transcript)
Senate Question Time, August 18

Razor gang brawl on disability scheme
Australian Financial Review, August 17