November 11, 2015
The State Government has asked a bipartisan Parliamentary Committee to look at options to implement a scheme that will provide care and support for Queenslanders catastrophically injured in road crashes, irrespective of fault.
Treasurer Curtis Pitt said today implementing the National Injury Insurance Scheme (NIIS) would give Queenslanders the same coverage and certainty enjoyed by other Australians.
“Unless we act now, Queensland will be the only state or territory in Australia without a lifetime care and support scheme in place by July 1 next year,” Mr Pitt said.
“That’s unacceptable when you consider that each week about three Queenslanders sustain life-changing injuries as a result of a road crash.”
Mr Pitt said when a catastrophic injury was sustained by an individual it also had significant impacts on their families and carers, all of whom would be supported by the NIIS scheme.
About half of all people seriously injured in a road crashes are not currently eligible to claim against compulsory third party insurance.
“Queensland’s current compulsory third party insurance scheme does not provide cover for injured people who are at fault, or in situations where there is no negligent party involved,” Mr Pitt said.
“It’s imperative that we move to address this issue so that those with catastrophic injuries arising from traffic crashes get the lifetime care and support they need.”
Mr Pitt said the State Government was committed to implementing the scheme after the former LNP government signed Queensland up to a national agreement on minimum benchmarks for insurance coverage in 2013.
He said the former Government had not implemented the NIIS scheme, but his Government would.
“I would expect bipartisan support for this important initiative,” Mr Pitt said.
Disability Services Minister Coralee O’Rourke said the Australian Government Productivity Commission recommended the establishment of the NIIS in conjunction with the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
“Both schemes are about making sure people with disability can get work, be more involved in the community and improve their quality of life.”
For more information on NIIS and to view the terms of reference for the parliamentary inquiry, visit www.maic.qld.gov.au
