Page 4172 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 18 November 2015
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(h) the commissioning of an Expert Panel on Students with Complex Needs and Challenging Behaviour and the Government’s response, which will be made available on 18 November 2015, with future updates to the Assembly, and
(2) calls on the Government to:
(a) continue the transition to the NDIS;
(b) continue to update the Assembly on the roll-out of the NDIS in line with previous resolutions of the Assembly; and
(c) write to the Australian Government to resolve, as a matter of urgency, how the NDIS will fund and support Information, Linkages and Coordination services.”.
I will be very disappointed if the Canberra Liberals do not support this because it merely reflects the currency of the situation around disability support here in the ACT. It recognises, unlike Mr Wall’s motion, the role of the national disability insurance scheme and the fact that the ACT will be the first jurisdiction to fully transition to the scheme.
It also notes the new arrangements for support, including post-school options that will take place with a transition to the NDIS. It captures the data that we have to hand. Over 2,000 people here in the ACT now have a plan. Another 400 are deemed eligible and are working their plans with the NDIA. It recognises the establishment of the child development service that will commence in January of next year and it also highlights that across our Education and Training Directorate we have 27 learning support unit classes and 30 support unit autism classes across our schools.
The amendment also recognises that being made public today was the report of the expert panel on students with complex and challenging behaviours, along with the government response. I will also provide future updates to the Assembly on this.
The amendment calls on me to continue our transition to the NDIS, which will mean more opportunities for people in our community with a disability. But it also calls on me to write to the Australian government to resolve, as a matter of urgency, how the NDIA will fund and support the information linkages and coordination services here in the ACT. This is a vital service for all people with a disability, including young children with autism. It would provide a much valued addition. This needs to be put in place. It needs to be put in place without too much more lagging behind the decision-making of the commonwealth government. I urge all in this chamber to support my amendment.
MR WALL (Brindabella) (4.53): I will speak to the amendment and close the debate. I am happy to have brought this motion to the Assembly today to highlight the needs broadly of people in our community with autism and other spectrum disorders. I think it is important that it is front of mind for all members of this Assembly as often as possible. We should be aware of the needs of young people in their early stages of life,
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