WorkAbility Qld welcomes yesterday’s announcement by the Queensland Government that the Bilateral Agreement between the State and Federal Governments has been signed.

The agreement will see the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) roll out across the state until mid-2019.

The signing of this agreement is great news for the sector, with thousands of Queenslanders with a disability expected to have access to support and services for the first time.

The rollout of the NDIS is set to double the disability sector’s workforce in Queensland, with up to 13,000 additional jobs between 2016 and 2019.

The progressive increase in demand and available options for people with disability under the NDIS will require significant growth in the number of workers across the sector and in the range of skills and abilities required to meet new demand, needs and expectations.

The NDIS NGO Workforce Strategy – WorkAbility Qld – is a key component of the NDIS rollout across out the State in preparing, strengthening and growing the workforce to meet future demands.

The Bilateral Agreement details the three-year rollout of the NDIS across the State, including:

July 2016 to June 2017:

Townsville, Hinchinbrook, Burdekin, west to Mount Isa, and up to the gulf

Mackay, Isaac and Whitsundays

Toowoomba and west to the borders

July 2017 to June 2018:

Ipswich, Lockyer, Scenic Rim and Somerset

Bundaberg

Rockhampton, Gladstone and west to the borders, and

July 2018 to June 2019:

Logan and Redlands

Cairns, Cassowary Coast, Tablelands, Croydon, Etheridge, Cape York and Torres Strait

Brisbane suburbs north of Brisbane River

Brisbane suburbs south of Brisbane River

Fraser Coast, North Burnett, South Burnett and Cherbourg

Gold Coast and Hinterland

Moreton Bay including Strathpine and Caboolture

Sunshine Coast, Noosa and Gympie

The Queensland Government has issued the following media release on the Bilateral Agreement.

For more information on the NDIS rollout in Queensland and to download the NDIS Stakeholder Information Packs visit http://www.ndis.gov.au/about-us/our-sites/qld.

For more information on WorkAbility Qld please visit http://www.workabilityqld.org.au.