Bendigo MP Lisa Chesters announced on Wednesday the planned start date for the disability scheme was May 1, 2017 for Greater Bendigo, Loddon, Macedon Ranges and Mount Alexander. 

Ms Chesters acknowledged it was later than the initial plan for July 2016, but said the region was one of the first in the state to implement Disability Care. 

The announcement comes in the wake of Australian Bureau of Statistics figures, released on Tuesday, revealing half of people with a disability did not receive the help they required. 

Scope Loddon Mallee customer and service delivery manager Mary Sullivan welcomed the announcement, saying the roll out of the NDIS would ease the burden of unmet need for local people with disabilities. 

“From my knowledge of people in Bendigo, there are a lot of people who are getting insufficient support,” Ms Sullivan said. 

“They might be getting three hours of respite a week, but that’s not a lot.”

“There are people in their 70s and 80s still providing full-time care for their sons and daughters.”

The ABS figures also revealed higher rates of unmet need for those with intellectual and psychological disabilities, compared with those with physical or sensory and speech disabilities.

Around two-thirds of people with autism, attention deficit disorder and other developmental disorders who did not have their needs met when it came to formal assistance they required.

Ms Sullivan said there was insufficient support overall, but said early intervention for children was vital. 

“A lot of children on the autism spectrum in schools are not getting the level of support they require,” Ms Sullivan said. 

“There's so much evidence that early support and intervention for people on the autism spectrum has really good outcomes – it works.”

Ms Sullivan said it was exciting to have certainty about the NDIS date and a timeframe to work towards. 

She said from observing the pilot rolled out in Barwon, people are getting the support they need. 

“At the moment people are eligible for support, but there's no support available and not enough individual support packages to go around,” she said. 

“There is not enough money in the system, but the NDIS is a massive injection of money and will support more people.”

Ms Chesters said 3400 people with a disability in the Bendigo electorate would have more choice in their care from May 2017. 

“The current system of disability care is totally broken,” she said. 

“Since becoming the local Federal member I’ve learnt first-hand of the challenges disability services workers currently face and the sector needs to support people with a disability better.”

She said the scheme would put an end to rationed services and waitlists.