7 December 2022 - meeting 8 - communique

The Northern Territory (NT) Disability Advisory Committee met with the Hon Ngaree Ah Kit MLA, Minister for Disabilities, on 7 December 2022 in Darwin. The meeting was chaired by Mr Chris Blackham-Davison.

The committee discussed the following matters.

Minister’s update

The minister provided an update on the independent review of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) that commenced in October 2022, and her role in promoting the review across the NT and advocacy for adequate remote and very remote service delivery.

The minister spoke about the low uptake of the NDIS in the NT, and advised she has selected Maningrida and Yuendumu for a NT Government Interagency Working Group to focus on for community-led pilot projects, aimed at increasing NDIS access.

An update was also provided on land grants from the NT Government to Carpentaria Disability Services and Life Without Barriers to build specialist disability accommodation.

Community Visitor Program

The Community Visitor Program provided an overview of the program to provide independent oversight of and advocacy for clients in NT Government inpatient and community-based mental health and forensic disability support services. Many of the clients raise issues regarding the coordination with the NDIS, contact with families and home community/country, and the use of restrictive practices.

National Disability Insurance Agency Market Intervention and Commissioning Projects

The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) are undertaking projects to address NDIS thin markets. Ten projects have been implemented across the NT since mid-2020, including in Alice Springs, Barkly, Central Desert, MacDonnell, East Arnhem, Katherine, Ngukurr, Tiwi Islands, Wadeye, and West Arnhem (Gunbalanya and Maningrida).

NDIA acknowledged over the past year some participants in the Greater Darwin area could not access capacity building daily activity supports including occupational therapy, speech therapy and physiotherapy due to the significant shortage of allied health workforce, and that waitlists for these services are extensive. The NDIA are working with NDIS providers of allied health supports to understand factors impacting their ability to support participants with a view to enable future growth of the market.

Australia’s Disability Strategy National Forum

The chair presented on his attendance at the Australia’s Disability Strategy National Forum in Canberra in early November 2022. He suggested the NT consider nominating to host the national forum in 2023, as well as host a similar forum in support of the NT Disability Strategy.

Northern Territory Disability Strategy

The Office of Disability and Senior Territorians provided an update on governance mechanisms to ensure actions by the Northern Territory Government and other organisations in the NT Disability Strategy are being carried out.

The next meeting of the committee is scheduled for 1 March 2023.

Mr Chris Blackham-Davison
Chair
Northern Territory Disability Advisory Committee