All Australian states and territories have signed an agreement to allow them to share information about the launch sites of the national disability insurance scheme.
Speaking after the Council of Australian Governments meeting in Canberra, Prime Minister Julia Gillard said she has also reached individual agreements with Victoria, New South Wales, the ACT, South Australia and Tasmania on launch sites for the NDIS.
However, Queensland and Western Australia have only signed a broader agreement. She says this agreement means even those places not participating in launch arrangements will learn from the launch arrangements so this will be shared work.
There was also agreement on electricity prices that would save families up to $250 a year, Ms Gillard said.
This will address the gold plating of the system and over-investment in poles and wires, while giving a voice to consumer on the systems design options and choices.
Big users will be able to moderate the power loads they put on the system during peak times and there will be an empowered regulator to deal with the new rules.
"This is a big issue for Australian families and for Australian businesses," Ms Gillard said. "People have seen a rapid escalation in their power prices and that has put a lot of pressure on peoples' cost of living."
Ms Gillard said schools reform was discussed by state education ministers and more work would follow at the next COAG meeting in 2013. An agreement was made to release a 10-year roadmap for mental health, an "important area of health care for the community".
The issue of royal succession was also on the agenda, a timely subject given news this week that Catherine Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, is pregnant.
Ms Gillard said the states had agreed to co-operate on arrangements ensuring that men would not be given preference over women in terms of who becomes the future monarch.
Removing an embargo on royal family members marrying a Catholic or converting to that religion was also discussed, she said. South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill said his state's NDIS launch will be based on a children's model, from birth to age 14.
This will be phased in over three years from 2013, with the South Australian government contributing $20 million.
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