Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

I am pleased to be able to provide an update on the latest quarterly results for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, which were released on Friday. The latest quarterly figures include an update on the new trial sites here in the ACT, the Barkly region of the Northern Territory and the Perth Hills area of WA, which all commenced on 1 July this year. These new sites joined trial sites in the Hunter area of New South Wales and in the Barwon region in my state, as well is in South Australia and Tasmania, and they all commenced in July 2013.

The report shows that at the end of September this year there were 8,880 people with disabilities who had an approved NDIS plan at a total cost of $395.3 million. This represents 77 per cent of the bilateral target, which is holding steady since the last quarterly report. The cost of the average NDIS package, excluding the Stockton Centre residents in Newcastle, is $35,207, which is a slight increase on the previous quarter but does remain below the expected full scheme average of $36,750. The average length of time from application to commencement of services remained steady since last quarter at 95 days. Importantly, participant satisfaction levels remain very high, particularly in your home state, Mr President, and Senator Bushby's home state of Tasmania. It has the highest satisfaction rate of any trial site at 98 per cent.

I take this opportunity to very importantly congratulate and acknowledge the staff of the NDIS agency for their continued efforts at the trial sites. I think it is important to acknowledge and recognise that, for the staff of the NDIS agency, it is more than a job. They know when they get up every day that they are making a contribution to improving the quality of life of fellow Australians.