NSW Premier Agrees
The NSW Premier and the Prime Minister have reached a funding agreement to ensure the full rollout of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in NSW.
NSW has agreed to increase it’s $3 billion annual funding contribution by 4% per year, while the Australian Government will pay the balance of NDIS costs in NSW. This deal makes NSW the only state so far to reach a deal with the Australian Government.
In 2013 when the then Labor Australian Government legislated a half percent increase in the Medicare levy to help fund the NDIS, the revenue was placed into a quarantined account called the Disability Care Australia Fund (DCAF). This was designed to help the states and territories contribute to the NDIS.
As a result of the agreement reached, the NSW Government will be able to access $3.1 billion of the DCAF.
The NDIS has been shrouded in issues relating to accessibility, rollout pace and financing, but this agreement at the very least has ensured some much needed long-term financial stability.
