Page 3707 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 23 October 2013
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Disability services—ACT government role
MR WALL: My question is to the Minister for Disability, Children and Young People. Minister, what role will the ACT government play in the provision of disability services after the transition to the NDIS?
MS BURCH: I thank Mr Wall for his interest in the NDIS. Recently there has been an announcement made around our provision of respite services. We have made a decision and a commitment to put those services out to tender for a non-government provider. In the scheme of the broader services, there has been no final decision made. I am on record here and I am on record in many a public forum that government services—indeed, anyone who is providing services to people with a disability—need to reflect on that in preparation for the NDIS. They need to do their due diligence about what that service provision is and how it connects to the broader service provision of government and non-government agencies. So the short answer is that there has been no clear decision on that.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Wall.
MR WALL: Minister, will the ACT government actually be delivering front-line services to the disability sector after the NDIS is operational and will there be any other closures or transfers of services?
MS BURCH: In short, I think I said there has been no clear decision. We start NDIS from 1 July next year, but we go to 2019-20 until we are completely through that phase. So not only will government perhaps change but other service provisions will change. I have been very clear: I will come back to this Assembly and give advice on an update on a regular basis. I think it is the right question to ask. Other people in the community have asked me as well. So when we are very clear about what the implementation will be and how we will approach the phase-in of the NDIS, which will start in July next year—all of that work is being considered now. We will come back to the community in the new year about the phase-in and those other key decisions, share them with the community and share them with members here. Rightly so, each one of us has a keen interest in making sure we get this transition over those five years right.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Doszpot.
MR DOSZPOT: Minister, when will you release detailed plans for the ACT’s transition to the NDIS?
MS BURCH: In short, when they are available. Just for your information, this is very—
Mr Doszpot: Can you give us a time frame?
MS BURCH: I was about to go to that, Mr Doszpot. The work that is happening with the expert advisory group and the task force is looking to the services that are actually
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