Lifeline for disability group

A TASMANIAN disability support organisation that was facing closure because of gaps in NDIS funding has been spared thanks to a new cash injection.

TADTas, which builds technical aids to support people living with a disability, is making plans as to how it can continue to help people in need after the State Government committed $40,000 to support the organisation for another year.

For the past 15 years the organisation, which works on about 80 projects each year, had received a government subsidy to stay afloat but was told its funding would cease at the end of June.

The rollout of the NDIS, which did not include funding to the majority of TADTas clients, meant the organisation from July this year could no longer operate.

“We lost everything at the end of the financial year,” TADTas technical co-ordinator Tony Sprent said.

“We lobbied for quite some time for there to be a way for us to continue operating and then out of the blue came this agreement from the State Government that they would fund us for another year.

“We’re very pleased, glad to say that things are looking pretty good.”

Mr Sprent said the company was worried that while they supported the NDIS he said it was concerning it only covered a small percentage of the people TADTas supported.

Minister for Disability Services Roger Jaensch said the State Government was pleased to provide funding.

“The Tasmanian Government is providing one-off funding for TADTas to support the organisation to continue to engage with, and investigate funding opportunities through the NDIS,” he said.

“The Tasmanian Government worked with the Australian Government and the National Disability Insurance Agency to ensure the availability of transition funding for eligible organisations, including TADTas.

“Over $1.2 million in transition funding has been distributed.”