Location factor for NDIS Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)

The SDA price for a particular dwelling depends on the location of the dwelling. To derive an SDA price limit for a particular dwelling, the Base Price (before the fire sprinkler allowance) is multiplied by the Location Factor relevant to the property’s location and Building Type. The location factor is noted in Appendix E – of the NDIS SDA Price Guide 2019-20. The Location Factors applied in SDA Price Guide are based on Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Statistical Area 4 regions.

So what is SA4 area?

Statistical Areas Level 4 (SA4) are geographical areas which have been designed for the output of a variety of regional data, including data from the 2016 Census of Population and Housing. There are 107 SA4 regions covering the whole of Australia without gaps or overlaps.

The SA4s were designed using several criteria which reflect a balance between respective considerations such as population and labour markets. For example, a population of minimum of 100,000 persons was set for the SA4s, with some exceptions to this in regional and metropolitan areas.

Labour markets were also a key consideration in the design of SA4s. The reason for this is that Labour force data has two geographic components to it - the labour supply (where people live) and demand (where people work).

How do you find what SA4 area applies to your SDA Dwelling?

The Australian Bureau of Statistics website has the information you need to determine the SA4 area.

Step 1: Go to the ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) website

Step 2: Select the icon for "Geocoder search"

Step 3: In the field that says “Choose a boundary type” select “2021 Statistical Area Level 4 (SA4)” from the drop-down options.

Step 4: Input the dwelling address.

Step 5: Click on the map and the results will be displayed as shown below.

Geography type: Statistical Area Level 4 (SA4) (2021) 
Name: Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains 
Code: 124 
 
The resulting name field (shown highlighted above) is the SA4 Location. 

Once the name of the location area is determined by the above steps, it is as easy as locating the area in the location column of the Appendix E – of the NDIS SDA Price Guide to obtain the Location Factor based on a particular dwelling type.

[Image description: Image above is a snapshot of Appendix E-Location Factor of the NDIS SDA Price Guide]

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Disclaimer: This article is based on Vista Access Architect’s personal interpretation of what determines Location factor. This article is not endorsed by the NDIA and users are advised to make their own inquires directly with NDIA.