NDIA’s HQ to bring benefits to Geelong

THE federal government is talking up the 120 million National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) headquarters now under construction in Geelong, with Corangamite federal member Sarah Henderson saying the project would create hundreds of local jobs and benefit regional Victoria.

Ms Henderson and Minister for Social Services Dan Tehan toured the construction site in Malop Street last week.

When construction is expected to finish later this year, the office will house 560 staff from the NDIA – the agency responsible for delivering the $22 billion National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

Ms Henderson said regional Victorians were already benefitting from the NDIS.

“The NDIS is expected to support approximately 5,900 participants in the Barwon region, receiving an estimated $280 million.

“The NDIS is also expected to support approximately 3,500 participants in the Western District and 4,600 in the Central Highlands. This represents funding supports of $180 million and $220 million respectively.

“That means incredible job and business opportunities in the disability support sector for regional Victorians.”

The NDIA’s market position statements estimate the level of annual expenditure in Victoria will grow from $2.6 billion now to $5.1 billion in 2020.

Mr Tehan said the number of Victorians benefitting from the NDIS’ life-changing reform had nearly trebled on the previous year.

“At the end of December 2017, 142,266 Australians were accessing the NDIS. Of this number, 27,041 are Victorians.

“The number of Victorians accessing supports is expected to grow to 105,000 in 2019/20. In the 2016/17 financial year, $488.3 million was committed in supports to Victorian NDIS participants. In the 2017/18 financial year, this amount more than doubled to $1,127.9 million.”