“The NSW government provides for these people, they’re washing their hands of them,” said Tony Heathwood, Southern Eastern Regional organiser for Public Service Association of NSW (PSA). 

Hundreds of staff within the disability sector marched to parliament house on Tuesday, and in Goulburn, Mr Heathwood organised a forum to discuss privatisaton. 

Under the NDIS Enabling Act, agreed to by former Prime Minister Julia Gillard and NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell in 2012, the transfer of services would allow money to stream into the NDIS.

But Mr Heathwood said the changes would hit Goulburn and Queanbeyan in the NSW Southern region first due to the number of group homes in the two districts.

“Our concerns are not with the NDIS,” he said.

“The concerns are with the future and sustainability of the funding model, predominately concern for those people currently cared for by the NSW government service.”

“There will be 150 odd workers in this area will be affected by the conditions of transfer.”

New operators will be announced over the next few months.

Currently, about 60 per cent of the sector is controlled by non-government services.

“A key part of this fundamental change is retaining the hard-working, dedicated front-line staff in the sector to make sure clients have continuity of care,” a spokesperson for the NDIS said.

“This is of great importance during a period when people with disabilities and their carers will be making important decisions.”

Workers will be given an up to two-year employment guarantee from the date of transfer. Temporary workers will have up to six months. No redundancies will be made.

MP Pru Goward said she was disappointed to hear the PSA left thousands of people seeking disability services for their 24-hour strike on Tuesday.

“The transfer of these services is an important part of enabling the long-term success of the NDIS,” she said.

The state government plans to transfer all services by June, 2018.