The Gillard and Baillieu governments have finally struck a deal for a Victorian trial of the National Disability Insurance Scheme after weeks of tensions over its funding.
The trial will start from mid next year and cover about 5000 people living with a disability in the Barwon region in and around Geelong.
In a statement announcing the deal this morning, the governments said Victoria would invest more than $300 million of existing and new funding for the trial. The Commonwealth will chip in $190 million toward individual support packages, as well as funding the provision of services.
The governments will continue to discuss establishing a launch agency for the disability insurance scheme in Geelong, which had been a component of Victoria's offer for a trial. The Commonwealth has also agreed to cover any overrun costs of the trial.
It is the fifth disability insurance trial across the country, with NSW, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT having previously been accepted as sites.