Synod commends support for NDIS

The Synod of New South Wales and the ACT has commended all members of the House of Representatives for their unanimous support of the National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill 2012 (NDIS) and commended the New South Wales Government for being the first State Government to reach a funding arrangement for the NDIS with the Federal Government.

The Synod, meeting at Knox Grammar School on April 14, noted that 1.3 million Australians have a profound or severe disability.

It noted that 45% of Australian people living with a disability live in or near poverty (the OECD average is 22%) and that Australia has the highest correlation between disability and poverty of any country in the OECD.

Only 39% of Australians with a disability are employed, Australia is ranked 21 out of 29 in the OECD, and rates of employment participation in Australia have fallen since the 1990s.

Synod also noted that, when implemented, the National Disability Insurance Scheme will provide people with a disability with a secure and consistent pool of funds in order to arrange individualised and person-centred support, based on the choices of that person and their family.

It will be a fair, efficient and effective way of ensuring people with a disability, and their carers, receive the care, support, therapy and equipment that they need.

The Synod meeting directed its Moderator, the Rev. Dr Brian Brown, on behalf of Synod, to call on all federal political parties to:

• uphold their commitments to fully fund a complete rollout of the NDIS by 2017; and
• ensure that other budgetary considerations do not impact on the rights of people with a disability to have access to the support they need to live an ordinary life.