Date: 24th July 2024

Introduction

Every Australian Counts (EAC) participated in a critical parliamentary hearing on the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Getting the NDIS Back on Track No. 1) Bill 2024. Our representatives, including Dr. George Taleporos and Ms. Nicole (Nick) Avery, voiced the concerns of the disability community, advocating for essential amendments to the proposed legislation to ensure the NDIS remains a participant-centred scheme that truly supports people with disabilities.

Summary of the Hearing

Dr. George Taleporos, the Independent Chair of EAC, opened the session by emphasising the need to maintain the core principles of the NDIS, which include giving people with disabilities control over their lives and ensuring they have access to the necessary support to live independently. He welcomed the recent amendments but stressed that they were not sufficient to fully protect the NDIS.

Ms. Nick Avery, Deputy Chair of EAC, highlighted several key areas of concern, including:

• The necessity of embedding co-design in the legislation to ensure meaningful consultation with people with disabilities.
• The importance of a whole-of-person approach to accommodate individuals with complex and interrelated disabilities.
• The need for clear review and appeal rights for participants regarding needs assessments and plan decisions.
• Criticism of the broad powers to mandate medical assessments, which could lead to severe consequences for non-compliance.
• The importance of maintaining participant choice and control in plan management and ensuring budgets remain flexible.

Scott Harry, a supporter of EAC, shared his personal experience living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and the challenges he faced with shared support models. His testimony highlighted the importance of individualised support and the potential dangers of the proposed one-to-three support ratio.

Key Discussions

The hearing also included discussions on:

• The lack of participant protections in the proposed legislation.
• The misuse of powers by NDIA delegates and the need for comprehensive participant safeguards.
• The impact of intraplan inflation and the importance of ensuring participants can appeal decisions and access necessary supports.

Conclusion

EAC’s participation in the hearing was a vital step in advocating for the rights and needs of people with disabilities. We remain committed to working collaboratively with policymakers to ensure the NDIS continues to fulfil its promise to the Australian disability community.

Read the Transcript

To read the full parliamentary hearing transcript and hear the testimonies of Dr. George Taleporos, Ms. Nick Avery, and Scott Harry, click here.

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