Leaders back NDIS rollout

The national disability insurance scheme will go ahead as planned, state leaders say.

An overweight person rides a motorised scooter in Brisbane

State leaders have reaffirmed their commitment to the national disability insurance scheme. (AAP)

State leaders have reaffirmed their commitment to the national disability insurance scheme (NDIS).

A raft of reviews and the national commission of audit report have added to speculation the NDIS could have its funding scaled back or its full rollout delayed.

But premiers and chief ministers meeting Prime Minister Tony Abbott at the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) in Canberra on Friday restated their commitment to the full rollout.

The agency in charge of the NDIS will report to governments in June on how best to proceed with the rollout, and the scheme has been permanently placed on the COAG agenda.

ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher said she had sought reassurances at the meeting that the NDIS - which will cover the entire territory, unlike the regional trials in other states - would go ahead as planned.

"It is very important that first ministers were able to say that as it stands now and the information we have available as agreed, we will continue," the Labor leader said.

Information gathered from the NDIS trial sites would be useful as the states adjusted their schemes.

But this should not be taken as the NDIS being scaled back.

The COAG meeting received a report showing the cost per client was falling, after an earlier review found an $11,000 per client blowout in the estimated average cost.

Federal Labor families spokeswoman Jenny Macklin said Mr Abbott should commit to no cuts or delays for the scheme.

"People have waited long enough," she told reporters in Melbourne.

The national commission of audit recommended the full rollout of the $22 billion NDIS, due to start in 2018/19, should be slowed and its funds trimmed to ensure it does not adversely affect the federal budget.


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Source: AAP


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