A media release from the National Disability Service:

NDS welcomes the commitment to the NDIS from the new Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, and assurances from the Government that the NDIS will be rolled out in full across Australia.

Dr Ken Baker continued: “Disability service organisations face large planning and investment decisions to prepare for the NDIS. The sector (and its workforce) will need to double in size in only a handful of years. Policy uncertainty surrounding key details of the NDIS’s design and implementation impedes this planning. Today’s welcome announcement fills some of the information gaps in NSW and Victoria.” Said Dr Ken Baker.

“Now that we know how the NDIS will be implemented in NSW and Victoria, it is important that we learn soon about implementation plans for the rest of Australia,” said Ken Baker.

“Today’s bilateral agreements are a significant milestone in a large, complex and ambitious development. The NDIS will greatly enhance the support people with severe disability need to participate fully in community and economic life.

“But significant hurdles lie ahead on the road to the NDIS. Eight out of ten disability service providers who responded to an NDS business confidence survey said that they find the policy environment uncertain. This includes the design of the future market for disability supports.

Ken Baker concluded: “It is critical that the future market supports a diverse, purpose-driven, high-quality and financially-sustainable service sector. An early problem is that some of the prices for services are less than the cost of provision. Unless these prices improve, market failure will result. NDS is willing to work with government agencies to develop a plan that ensures an innovative, sustainable and vibrant future market for disability supports.”