Ms ANDERSON - 2014-02-19
There are many Territorians with mixed abilities who contribute enormously to our economic and cultural fabric. Can you please outline the historic step taken by the government to recognise the challenges facing Territorians with a disability, their carers and their families?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, there are people right across the Northern Territory with disabilities who are contributing enormously to our social and economic fabric. I thank the member for Namatjira for her question.
On 3 February, just a few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of being sworn in as the Minister for Disability Services of the Northern Territory. It was a great honour for me personally and professionally, given 27 000 in the Territory identify as having a disability.
Mrs Vicki O’Halloran, who we all know, and who is President of the National Disability Services Network and the CE of Somerville Disability Services, said she had been waiting 20 years for these important changes to occur.
We have had endorsements across the Northern Territory and the country. It is well overdue. I have a big job ahead of me which I take on with great gusto and enthusiasm.
One of the key projects I will be focusing on is the trial of the National Disability Insurance Scheme rolling out in the Barkly region as of 1 July. This morning, I had the pleasure of meeting the CEO of the National Disability and Insurance Agency, Mr David Bowen, and Meryl Sveck who is the launch manager for South Australia and the Northern Territory.
This is incredibly exciting. I invite you all to get on board to familiarise yourself with what is going on in Barkly. I am going to Tennant Creek next week, meeting with the agency staff and stakeholders there. One-hundred-and-three people living in the Barkly area will be included in this trial: 103 local residents, people of different racial backgrounds, afflicted with all sorts of disabilities. It will be very exciting. It is the most remote trial site in Australia. All eyes will be looking at what we are doing in Barkly. It gives those people with a disability who are living in Barkly an opportunity to determine for themselves what services they access and how they access those services.
Generally, across the Northern Territory, this is not just about the National Disability Insurance Scheme, it is about modernising our approach to providing disability services, looking at the individual, giving them the ability to determine what they want and how they want it. It is a very exciting era we are moving into, a modern era.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, there are people right across the Northern Territory with disabilities who are contributing enormously to our social and economic fabric. I thank the member for Namatjira for her question.
On 3 February, just a few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of being sworn in as the Minister for Disability Services of the Northern Territory. It was a great honour for me personally and professionally, given 27 000 in the Territory identify as having a disability.
Mrs Vicki O’Halloran, who we all know, and who is President of the National Disability Services Network and the CE of Somerville Disability Services, said she had been waiting 20 years for these important changes to occur.
We have had endorsements across the Northern Territory and the country. It is well overdue. I have a big job ahead of me which I take on with great gusto and enthusiasm.
One of the key projects I will be focusing on is the trial of the National Disability Insurance Scheme rolling out in the Barkly region as of 1 July. This morning, I had the pleasure of meeting the CEO of the National Disability and Insurance Agency, Mr David Bowen, and Meryl Sveck who is the launch manager for South Australia and the Northern Territory.
This is incredibly exciting. I invite you all to get on board to familiarise yourself with what is going on in Barkly. I am going to Tennant Creek next week, meeting with the agency staff and stakeholders there. One-hundred-and-three people living in the Barkly area will be included in this trial: 103 local residents, people of different racial backgrounds, afflicted with all sorts of disabilities. It will be very exciting. It is the most remote trial site in Australia. All eyes will be looking at what we are doing in Barkly. It gives those people with a disability who are living in Barkly an opportunity to determine for themselves what services they access and how they access those services.
Generally, across the Northern Territory, this is not just about the National Disability Insurance Scheme, it is about modernising our approach to providing disability services, looking at the individual, giving them the ability to determine what they want and how they want it. It is a very exciting era we are moving into, a modern era.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016