NATIONAL DISABILITY
INSURANCE SCHEME — STAFF
2. Hon PETER COLLIER to
the Minister for Disability Services:
I refer to the continuing rollout of
the National Disability Insurance Scheme throughout Western Australia.
(1) Is the
minister aware of any staff shortages that have emerged throughout the
disability sector as a result of the rollout?
(2) If yes, what is the minister
doing about it?
Hon
STEPHEN DAWSON replied:
I thank the Leader of the Opposition
for the question.
(1)–(2) As the Leader of the Opposition knows, the state
signed a bilateral agreement in relation to the full-scheme rollout of the national disability insurance
scheme and that we would get to approximately 39 000 participants by 30 June 2019, which was extended to 30 June
2020. My last lot of information was that on 31 December almost 8 000 WA
NDIS participants had transferred to the scheme, and about 9 500 clients known
to the Department of Communities had transitioned to the scheme. At 31 December,
about 24 500 people from Western Australia were in the new national scheme,
which leaves about 15 000 Western Australians who are not yet part of that 39 000
that we anticipated. No, I am not aware of staff shortages. I have worked very
closely with the Minister for Education and Training to put funding on the
table to get more people trained in the disability space, and that work
continues. We certainly continue to have a great number of former local area
coordinators in place. Those positions are being phased out as the NDIS takes
over. I am not aware of any specific vacancies, so if the Leader of the
Opposition knows something that I do not know, perhaps he can get me behind the
Chair and please let me know. The rollout has been slower than anticipated, but
it still means that people with disability are getting a quality service if
they continue to be provided a service by
the state. I give credit to the federal Minister for the National Disability
Insurance Scheme, Stuart Robert, with
whom I have worked very closely to ensure that we make the national disability
insurance scheme better for participants.