What is a Local Area Coordinator (LAC)?

Local Area Coordinators work across Western Australia to link people with disability to available support services and community resources in their local area. Funded by the WA Department of Communities, LACs are employed by contracted partner organisations and operate in defined geographic zones across Perth and regional locations.

The LAC role centers on connection and navigation rather than direct service delivery. LACs help people identify what supports exist locally, coordinate referrals to relevant providers, and assist with understanding how services fit together. This work happens outside the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) framework, meaning LACs help both NDIS and non-NDIS participants access community and disability resources.

LACs differ from NDIA planners and support coordinators in scope and function. An NDIA planner develops an NDIS participant's plan and allocates funding. A support coordinator, typically funded through an NDIS plan, helps participants manage their plan and coordinate services they have already chosen. A LAC, by contrast, works to map what is available locally and help people navigate options before or alongside formal planning processes.

The LAC network is particularly important for people with disability living in areas with limited formal services, for those not yet NDIS participants, and for anyone needing help understanding what community-based and disability-specific supports exist near them. LAC services are free and available to any person with disability in their service area.