CareWest CEO Tim Curran said that modelling for the NDIS suggests approx 1 in about 50 Australians will receive an NDIS package, so if the population of the Blayney shire is representative of the wider Australian population, over 125 local residents will receive an NDIS package.

“The value of each NDIS package varies widely depending upon the circumstances and support needs of each individual,” he said, “but the average cost of an NDIS package so far is around $35k per annum.”

“This is great news for the more than 100 individuals in Blayney with a severe or profound disability who will receive a guaranteed level of funding to enable them to participate more fully in the social and economic life of their community.”

Mr Curran said its services in regional cities such as Orange and Dubbo helped cover the costs of loss-making services in smaller more isolated regional areas and it was his biggest worry that new providers will be for-profit providers, keen to open in regional centres, but less enthusiastic about setting up in regional towns and offering services in the shire’s villages.

“The best result for the community would be if majority of the NDIS services are delivered by locally-based organisations, then it will also be great news for the wider Blayney community because it will mean an investment of more than $4.5 million of funding each year into Blayney shire and the creation of over 50 local jobs,” he said.

Mr Curran said that the large city providers may not be interested in delivering services to residents in small towns like Mandurama, Lyndhurst and even Carcoar, much less to residents living on farms, as the cost of travel will make it difficult for the providers to deliver these services at a profit.

“CareWest and other local for-purpose providers will be happy to deliver services in rural and remote areas though at a financial loss.”