Providing answers on NDIS rollout
Information sessions about the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme later this year will be held in Warragul tomorrow and on Friday.
They will be an opportunity for people with disabilities, their families and carers to have questions answered about the scheme that is set to roll out across the Inner Gippsland region – Baw Baw, Bass Coast and South Gippsland shires and Latrobe city – from October.
The information sessions will be at the Federation Training Tea Rooms at the Warragul railway station.
Tomorrow’s will be from 6-8pm and Friday’s between 10.30am and midday.
The sessions will be delivered by the National Disability Insurance Authority, regional coordinator Latrobe Community Health Services, the Department of Health and Human Services and Baw Baw Shire council.
Member for McMillan Russell Broadbent said LCHS, awarded the tender to co-ordinate the service in the region, will employ an additional 50 people.
He said LCHS would also work closely with Link Health and Community that provides early childhood intervention in the region.
Mr Broadbent said 3700 people in Inner Gippsland that have a disability will progressively transition from current services to the NDIS.
The scheme will provide people under 65 years of age that have a permanent or significant disability with reasonable and necessary support to live normal lives.
All services will be funded by NDIS on an individual basis rather that the current system where services are funded by State Governments through a mix of individualised and block funding.
Baw Baw Shire mayor Joe Gauci said the council was still considering whether to register as a service provider under NDIS but expected a decision to be made by mid-year.
He said that while council has historically responded to gaps in services by delivering good quality support it was not a specialist provider of disability services.
However, Cr Gauci said the community could be assured there would be no changes to current services until funding for them moves to NDIS.