Additional Government funding targets remote communities

The Turnbull Government will provide more than $9.3 million across 13 projects, which will have a strong focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living with disability in the Northern Territory (NT), Queensland and South Australia.

The funding comes after the Government announced they will provide $56 million in funding to targeted projects for remote communities back in April.

“This funding is trialling targeted activities in hard-to-reach areas to improve access to services and enable people with disability to more actively participate in their communities,” Minister for Social Services, Dan Tehan says.

Funded projects include an Anangu Pitjantjara Yankunytjatjara region (APY Lands) project to help local people gain employment in the disability sector, as well as support people living with disability to register for the NDIS, and help people with disability in the NT access and use assistive technology and maintain its use in communities.

Centacare NQ has just been announced as one of the 13 recipients to receive a share of the $9.3 million as part of a two-year Lat20 project, aiming to build inclusiveness within communities from Mount Isa to Townsville and Southeast to Longreach in Queensland.

The projects have been funded through the National Disability Insurance Agency’s Information, Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC) Program.

The projects are guided by two principles; personal capacity building, which refers to making sure people with disability and their families have the skills, resources and confidence they need; and community capacity building, which is about making sure mainstream services and community activities become more inclusive of people with disability.

Assistant Minister for Social Services and Disability Services, Jane Prentice, says the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is helping Australians with disability have more choice and control in their lives.

“It is crucial that we work with indigenous communities, to ensure that they have the capability to deliver the services they need,” Mrs Prentice says.

The additional funding is an encouraging step towards support and inclusiveness for people with disability.

For more information on disability support and services, please visit DisabilitySupportGuide.com.au