No images? Click here 3 March 2022 Severe weather impacting Queensland and New South WalesWith severe weather currently impacting Queensland and New South Wales, providers need to be on alert and be prepared to deploy emergency plans.Key points
Monitor local informationWith severe weather currently impacting Queensland and New South Wales, providers need to be on alert. For the latest updates in impacted regions, including evacuation orders, visit the Queensland SES or NSW SES websites. For the latest weather information, visit the Bureau of Meteorology website. In an emergency, always call 000 and follow the advice from local emergency services. Notification of changes or eventsWe understand that some providers may be dealing with immediate issues relating to the delivery of critical support to participants. Notifying of changes and events, including how you are deploying emergency plans, is critical. It also includes considering impacts that may involve participants who are outside of the flood impacted zones that rely on your organisation for support. Notifying the NDIS Commission enables us to monitor and respond to risks for people with disability, including referring information to the NDIA where there are risks to the continuity of critical supports for participants and additional assistance that may be needed. You should first and foremost manage and respond to the emergency. You should advise the NDIS Commission at the earliest opportunity of any change or event that substantially affect your ability to provide the supports and services you are registered to provide. Supporting participantsThe priority of the NDIA is to support participants and their support networks once they are out of immediate danger. Affected participants are encouraged to contact the NDIS National Contact Centre on 1800 800 110. The NDIA are prioritising all calls from participants affected by the severe weather events, to ensure support can quickly be provided. If urgent repairs or replacement of Assistive Technology is needed, the NDIS National Contact Centre can authorise funds over the phone. For more information, visit the NDIS webpage about urgent AT repairs. Provider obligations regarding continuity of critical supportsThe weather conditions do not change the obligations of NDIS providers, both registered and unregistered, under the NDIS Code of Conduct. These obligations are to protect and prevent people with disability from experiencing harm arising from poor quality or unsafe supports, abuse, neglect and exploitation, or poorly managed changes to supports. You should refer to the new NDIS Practice Standards and Quality Indicators, including those for Emergency and Disaster management. Your organisation will have an Emergency and Disaster Management Plan that guides you in responding to risks to the participants you support. General Enquiries1800 035 544 (free call from landlines) Our contact centre is open 9.00am to 5.00pm (9.00am to 4.30pm in the NT) Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays. To provide feedback, contact the NDIS Commission by emailing |