The Commonwealth and Northern Territory Governments today signed an agreement to establish a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) trial site in the Northern Territory.
The signing of this agreement is a key milestone in the continued national rollout of the NDIS.
From July 1, 2014 the trial will be run in the Barkly Regional Council local government area. This trial will include Tennant Creek and a number of smaller communities.
The Commonwealth will provide approximately $16.7 million over two years to the trial in the Northern Territory, including funding for care and support packages for participants of the trial.
Consistent with the agreements with other jurisdictions, the Northern Territory will contribute to care and support packages for participants. The Northern Territory contribution will be approximately $4.4 million over two years.
The Barkly region covers approximately 320,000 square kilometres and around 150 Northern Territorians with disability will benefit from this trial.
The trial in Barkly will deliver important lessons about rural and remote service delivery. We want to ensure that the scheme is built on strong foundations and that key lessons from the trials are taken on board.
Today’s signing confirms the Commonwealth Government and the Northern Territory Government joint commitment to ensure that people with disabilities, their families and carers receive the care and support they need.
The NDIS is expected to benefit 460,000 people Australia-wide once it has been fully rolled out.
For more information about the NDIS Barkly trial site, visit www.ndis.gov.au.
3 May 2014