Thursday 24 May 2018

Disability support will completely transfer to the NDIS on 1 July and many people are having trouble getting into the system or establishing appropriate plans. State-based services will be abolished, even those not covered by the NDIS, and I am concerned some people will fall through the cracks.

I supported the campaign to keep independent advocacy services that were set to be cut and while the NSW Government responded by extending advocacy funding for another two years, ongoing services are vital. People with disability will always need representation so that barriers to care are broken and the system continues to become more inclusive. Independent advocacy funding is also being cut if an organisation gets an NDIS grant for an unrelated service.

In Parliament, I spoke against changes that will only burden state resources from more people ending up in crisis accommodation or prison for example – two institutions that already have higher representations of people with disability. My speech: HERE