AAP
The federal and NSW governments have agreed to spend $3 billion apiece for the longer term support of a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in the state.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the governments had already agreed on an NDIS launch site in the NSW Hunter Valley from mid-2013.
"And then when it comes time to move from that launch site to the full scheme in 2018 we have reached an agreement about funding shares and mechanisms for that full scheme," she told reporters in Canberra.
"The commonwealth and the state will share around half of the burden.
"The commonwealth and the state will each put in an extra $3 billion more for care and support of people in NSW."
This would help about 140,000 people with disabilities in NSW, Ms Gillard said during a joint media conference with NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell.
She said under the deal struck with Mr O'Farrell, the federal government would contribute 51.4 per cent of the total cost of the NDIS in NSW from 2018/19 - or $3.319 billion - while NSW will put in $3.133 billion.
"We have worked hard on this arrangement together and I want to thank Premier O'Farrell for his leadership and for being the first premier to enter such an agreement with the federal government," he said.
"I do want to reinforce that this deal now sets the benchmark.
"It shows to the other states and territories that it can be done and I am determined that it will be done."
Mr O'Farrell said it was an important day for 120,000 disabled people, their carers and their families in NSW.
"This delivers to them the NDIS, which has long been sought after," he said.
The premier said he was proud NSW was the first state to strike a bipartisan "fair and appropriate" deal with the federal government.
"This should be above politics and I think this agreement today demonstrates this is above politics," Mr O'Farrell said.
"This will ensure that for those families, those individuals, those carers who are affected by disability, that this long term support beyond the launch will continue."
Ms Gillard said this would mean both the Commonwealth and NSW would need to make some tough budget choices.
"I have been very clear with the nation that I will be saying to people we need to make some tough choices, some good choices, in order to find the money to back the rollout of the NDIS," she said.
"But I am determined to do it.
"Premier O'Farrell is determined to do it and here we are today getting it done."
Mr O'Farrell said as NSW had demonstrated, this required bipartisan support.
"We have $2 billion worth of growth funding sitting there waiting for this scheme," he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment