In The Media | 2 February 2017

NDIS deal means WA pays more

WA taxpayers will fork out at least $106 million more a year for disability services than other States after the WA Government reached a deal to run its own version of the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull signed off on a long-awaited final agreement with the State Government yesterday, giving WA approval to be the only State to retain control of its disability services.

People with disabilities will be able to access the locally delivered NDIS from July this year, when the full State rollout begins in the Perth Hills, Bayswater, Bassendean, Chittering, Toodyay, Northam and York.

Those in other areas will have to wait until the end of the transition period in mid-2019.

People in the existing WA NDIS trial sites in the lower South West, Cockburn-Kwinana and local government areas of Armadale, Serpentine- Jarrahdale and Murray who already use the scheme will see no change.

WA has agreed to fund 100 per cent of the administration and operating costs of the yet-to-be-named new agency that will administer the scheme.

Source: The West Australian