Australia’s ageing population and the implementation of the
NDIS is expected to increase the demand for workers in the aged and disability
care sectors.[36] According to the Government,
the ‘disability workforce is expected to more than double as the NDIS is
introduced, from around 73,000 full-time equivalent workers in 2013 before the
NDIS trials began, to around 162,000 full-time equivalent workers when the
scheme is fully implemented in 2019-20’.[37]
The NDIS Integrated Market, Sector and Workforce Strategy
notes the ‘particular challenges of rural and remote locations and other
thin market segments will require enhanced local cross-sectoral coordination’.[38]
This budget measure directs $33 million to increase the supply of care workers in
rural, regional and outer suburban areas, to meet workforce demand in the
disability and aged care sectors.[39]
This funding is to be drawn from within the existing resources of the
Department of Health and the Department of Social Services.[40]
It is unlikely this budget measure will require legislation.
[1].
L Buckmaster, The
National Disability Insurance Scheme: a quick guide, Research paper
series, 2016–17, Parliamentary Library, Canberra, 2017. Much of the section in
this brief dealing with the funding of the National Disability Insurance Scheme
is taken from this research paper.
[2].
C Porter, ‘Second
reading speech: National Disability Insurance Scheme Savings Fund Special
Account Bill 2016’, House of Representatives, Debates, 16 March 2016, p.
3247; J Macklin (Shadow Minister for Disability Reform and Shadow Minister for
Families and Payments) and T Burke (Shadow Minister for Finance), Pickpocket
Porter steals NDIS money, joint media release, 9 April 2016.
[3].
Australian Government, Budget strategy
and outlook: budget paper no. 1: 2017–18, pp. 3-8 to 3-10. See also: Australian Government, Budget
measures: budget paper no. 2: 2017–18, pp. 24–25.
[4].
Budget measures: budget paper no. 2: 2017–18, op. cit., p. 25. See the
'Medicare'
brief elsewhere in the Budget Review for further discussion of the
‘Guaranteeing Medicare’ measure.
[5].
Parliament of Australia, ‘National
Disability Insurance Scheme Savings Fund Special Account Bill 2016 homepage’,
Parliament website.
[6].
Productivity Commission, Disability
care and support—volume 1, Report, 54, Canberra,
2011, p. 85.
[7].
NDIS, ‘Intergovernmental
agreements’, NDIS website.
[8].
J Gillard (Prime Minister) and W Swan (Treasurer), Medicare
Levy increase to fund DisabilityCare Australia passes the Parliament,
media release, 16 May 2013.
[9].
Ibid.
[10].
Australian Government, Budget
strategy and outlook: budget paper no. 1: 2016–17, p. 3-14; Australian
Government, Budget
strategy and outlook: budget paper no. 1: 2017–18, p. 3-9.
[11].
Budget strategy and outlook: budget paper no. 1: 2017–18, op. cit., p. 3-9.
[12].
Ibid.
[13].
According to the note in budget paper no. 1: ‘This medium-term projection
is based on current parameters, including the number of NDIS participants and
package costs. The NDIS Savings Fund includes one-fifth of the Medicare levy
from 1 July 2019, underspends and realised saves redirected to the NDIS
Savings Fund, and uncommitted funds from the Building Australia Fund and
Education Investment Fund’. Ibid., p. 3-10.
[14]
The reasons for establishing the proposed NDIS Savings Fund rather than
using the existing Disability Care Australia Fund were discussed in the Senate
Community Affairs Committee, Report
on the Provisions of the National Disability Insurance Scheme Savings Fund
Special Account Bill 2016, pp. 9-11.
[15].
Budget measures: budget paper no. 2: 2017–18, op. cit., p. 153.
[16].
C Porter (Minister for Social Services), C Barnett (Premier of Western
Australia) and D Faragher (WA Minister for Planning, Disability Services), Governments
sign bilateral agreement on local delivery of NDIS in WA [and] Western
Australia (WA) roll out schedule, joint media release, 1 February 2017.
[17].
Ibid.
[18].
NDS, NDS
welcomes signing of WA NDIS Bilateral Agreement, media release, 1
February 2017; P Wearne, ‘Call
to abandon disability deal’, The West Australian, 28 February 2017.
[19].
P Wearne, ‘WA
wary of standalone deal on NDIS’, The West Australian, 5 May
2017, p. 12.
[20].
Budget measures: budget paper no. 2: 2017–18, op. cit., p. 153.
[21].
Ibid.
[22].
Ibid.
[23].
Ibid.; Department of Health (DoH), ‘Commonwealth
Home Support Programme’ and ‘Commonwealth
Continuity of Support Programme’, DoH website, April 2017.
[24].
See L Belardi, ‘Western
Australian HACC to join Commonwealth Support Program from July 2018’, Community
Care Review, 16 February 2017.
[25].
K Wyatt (Minister for Aged Care), Changes
in WA home support aged care services, media release, 1 February 2017.
[26].
Disability Reform Council (DRC), NDIS
Quality and Safeguarding Framework, Department of Social Services
(DSS), December 2016.
[27].
Ibid.
[28].
Ibid.; S Easton, ‘The
NDIS quality and safeguarding framework has finally emerged from the complex
deliberations between Australia’s nine governments’, The Mandarin,
10 February 2017, p. 3.
[29].
Budget measures: budget paper no. 2: 2017–18, op. cit., p. 154.
[30].
Ibid.; Department of Human Services (DHS), ‘NDIS
Quality and Safeguards Commission—establishment’, DHS website.
[31].
Budget measures: budget paper no. 2: 2017–18, op. cit., p. 154; C Porter
(Minister for Social Services), Z Seselja (Assistant Minister for Social
Services) and J Prentice (Assistant Minister for Social Services and Disability
Services), Budget
2017: guaranteeing the NDIS and providing stronger support for people with
disability, joint media release, 9 May 2017, p. 2.
[32].
Guaranteeing the NDIS and providing stronger support for people with
disability, op. cit., p. 1.
[33].
H Dickinson, ‘NDIS’, ‘Budget
2017 sees Medicare rebate freeze slowly lifted and more funding for the NDIS:
experts respond’, The Conversation, 9 May 2017, p. 2.
[34].
Disabled People’s Organisations Australia, Great
NDIS and job support wins, but harsh welfare measures for people with
disability, media release, 9 May 2017.
[35].
‘NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission—establishment’, op. cit.
[36].
Budget measures: budget paper no. 2: 2017–18, op. cit., p. 145.
[37].
Guaranteeing the NDIS and providing stronger support for people with
disability, op. cit., p. 1.
[38].
Senior Officials Working Group for the Disability Reform Council, NDIS
integrated market, sector and workforce strategy, NDIS, June 2015, p.
19.
[39].
Budget measures: budget paper no. 2: 2017–18, op. cit., p. 145; Guaranteeing
the NDIS and providing stronger support for people with disability, op. cit.,
p. 1.
[40].
Budget measures: budget paper no. 2: 2017–18, op. cit., p. 145.
All online articles accessed May 2017.
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