Every Australian Counts strongly opposes the introduction of prescriptive and restrictive support lists.  The lists undermine the NDIS’s core principles by limiting participants’ ability to tailor supports to their unique needs, thereby reducing choice and control, preventing innovation, increasing segregation and overall costs.  The draft lists are likely to negatively impact people with complex and unique support needs,  First Nations people, culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) people and people from regional and remote areas.  The lists should not proceed.

The draft NDIS Support Lists are particularly troubling to EAC due to their potential negative impact on several vulnerable groups:

• People with Complex Needs: The proposed lists do not adequately address the diverse and unique needs of individuals, leading to inadequate or inappropriate support, which increases segregation. The introduction of an exemption to the legislation fails to sufficiently address this issue.
• Regional and Remote Areas: Individuals in regional and remote areas already face significant barriers and challenges in accessing appropriate services, necessitating innovation and flexibility. The draft lists will further constrain their access to personalised support, worsening the inequities faced by those in geographically isolated locations.
• First Nations and CaLD Communities: Additional barriers exist for First Nations and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) individuals. The restrictive lists do not consider the unique cultural and community-based needs of these groups, exacerbating existing disparities.

EAC, in agreement with all Disability Representative and Carer Organisations, asserts that the lists must be withdrawn. The transitional rules should define ‘NDIS Supports’ based on the Reasonable and Necessary principles:

• must be related to a participant’s disability
• must not include day-to-day living costs not related to your disability support needs, such as groceries
• should represent value for money
• must be likely to be effective and work for the participant, and
• should take into account support given to you by other government services, your family, carers, networks and the community.”

Download the full submission below:

EAC-Submission-on-the-Draft-NDIS-Support-Lists-2024 (Word)

EAC-Submission-on-the-Draft-NDIS-Support-Lists-2024 (PDF)