Bridget Archer (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

There's no doubt in my mind that the NDIS is significantly improving the lives of hundreds of constituents in my electorate of Bass, but I certainly recognise that improvements need to be made to address issues within the system as it continues to roll out. Tasmania commenced the full NDIS scheme on 1 July this year, and it is expected that more than 2,200 northern Tasmanians will be part of the service by 2020. I wholeheartedly support the Morrison government's NDIS Participant Service Guarantee and the opportunity it is providing to all participants, including those in northern Tasmania, to have their say.

It is a passion of mine, as the member for Bass, to work at realising the potential for genuine change through the NDIS for those I represent. Just a few weeks after I was sworn in, I hosted the NDIS roundtable in Launceston with the Prime Minister and the Minister for the NDIS, Stuart Robert. This was a great opportunity for a small group of participants and their families to directly address what is and what isn't working for them within the current system. I certainly know that the attendees who were there on that day felt that they were heard by the Prime Minister and Minister Robert, who have both continuously demonstrated that they want to see the NDIS improving the lives of Australians in meaningful ways, and that they are committed to ongoing improvements to the scheme.

There were some excellent examples from individuals and families represented at that event of how their participation in the NDIS has created significant benefits to their lives. One woman shared the incredibly powerful story of her daughter, who had been able to transition from institutional care and return to the family home as a result of the scheme and had had a demonstrated improvement in her health and wellbeing as a result. Another mother of a very young participant spoke of how early intervention services accessed through the scheme had benefited her and their family.

But of course the roundtable also presented an opportunity for participants to identify gaps and challenges that they have experienced, mostly around the interface with transport and health services. It's so important to hear directly from people about these issues so that they are able to be addressed as the scheme moves forward.

I'd like to take the time here today to say a sincere and generous thank you to Minister Robert, who has been a tremendous listener as we've discussed the NDIS challenges facing those in my electorate. More than that, he has been a true force for change in this area and has already solved a number of issues raised with me by my constituents. In one particular case I was recently contacted by a constituent advocating on behalf of one of her students who was having difficulty accessing equipment, resulting in significant inconvenience and loss of dignity for the young man. Minister Robert was very responsive and moved very quickly to rectify the problem. On behalf of that young man and his family, I say: 'Thank you, Minister Robert.'

A short time after that initial NDIS roundtable, I met with a local disability advocate in Bass, Jane Wardlaw, to discuss further opportunities to engage with NDIS participants. Those of us in the northern Tasmanian community who have been fortunate enough to cross paths with Jane will understand what a fierce and passionate advocate she is for so many. From our discussion, I've begun to organise, with Jane's help, a series of further roundtable discussions beginning at the end of this month and focusing on a few key themes that have been raised with me as areas of concern for participants in northern Tasmania. The goal of these forums is to focus on gathering valuable information on what is and what isn't working within the current system.

While it is vital for us as members of parliament to know what isn't working, it is also incredibly important to understand what is working, as lives have been positively impacted by the introduction of the NDIS. The first workshop open to NDIS participants and their families is set for late September, with further workshops planned for later in the year. A separate workshop for NDIS providers to provide their feedback is also planned. It is my intention to continue to engage proactively with participants, service providers, advocates and other stakeholders in the years ahead, as there is an incredible amount of positivity and goodwill amongst all of these groups and it is such a valuable opportunity to gather and provide that vital feedback so we can continue to grow and shape the NDIS to be the very best that it can be.

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