NDIS Bill ’24 – Update:

Senate Review and Voting

The Senate Community Affairs Committee is reporting back on 9th August, and we will upload the report as soon as it is available and will also provide commentary following its release.

This means that the NDIS Legislation is scheduled to go before the Senate for a vote during the week of 12th August.

EAC wants to give a huge thank you to our supporters who gave their feedback to the Committee, but it’s now crucial that you now take further action.

Why This Matters

The NDIS Bill proposes significant changes to the NDIS, which could impact how participants access the scheme and how their support needs are assessed and funded. While some amendments have been made, there are still important concerns that need to be addressed.

Key Issues

• Co-design: The Bill now requires the Minister to consider co-design principles, but it doesn’t make this a legal requirement.
• Whole of Person Approach: The Bill may not fully account for people with multiple and interrelated disabilities, which could lead to inadequate support.
• Right to a New Assessment: The Bill lacks a clear provision for participants to challenge or replace needs assessments they find inappropriate.
• Information Requests: The NDIA still has broad powers to request information and mandate medical assessments, which could be problematic.
• Limits on Support and Spending: The Bill gives the NDIA wide authority to control how participants use their supports and funding, raising concerns about participant autonomy.

NDIS Supports S10 Lists opened for consultation

In addition and as part of the legislation process, the Government released the NDIS Supports (S10) lists on Sunday, 4th August, and opened an extremely limited consultation period on the DSS Engage website until 5:00 pm on 18th August, see this here: https://engage.dss.gov.au/consultation-on-draft-lists-of-ndis-supports/. However, this consultation process is deeply flawed and does not meet the standards of thoroughness and accessibility that participants deserve.

Our Concerns About the Consultation Process

The consultation on the NDIS Supports S10 lists is utterly inadequate. It fails to allow time for full consideration of the implications and impact on participants. Released on a Sunday, it gives the community only a fortnight to respond, which is insufficient for such a critical issue. Moreover, the consultation documents were not provided in accessible formats at the time of release, further restricting time for comment and effectively shutting out many of those who will be most affected by these changes.

This is not the consultation and co-design process that we signed up for, nor is it what the Government and the Agency have proposed. Such a rushed and inaccessible approach undermines the very principles of inclusion and equity that the NDIS is supposed to uphold. For these reasons we are seeking an immediate extension to the consultation period for a minimum of at least eight weeks and are writing to the Department, the Agency and the Minister.

How You Can Help

We urge you to continue to voice your concerns about the Legislation and changes along with the flawed consultation process on the Supports Lists. Share your thoughts on the legislation and the supports lists directly with both the DSS, the NDIA and Minister Shorten. Alternatively, use the button below to send a pre-drafted reply to all, which you can also customise with your thoughts.

Take Action Now

Submit your input on the NDIS Supports S10 lists by 5:00 pm on 18th August seeking an extension to allow for greater time on consultation, via the DSS Engage website and let the NDIA and Minister Shorten know too! It’s essential to make your voice heard and ensure that the NDIS continues to provide the necessary support for people with disability.

Make your voice heard and ensure that the NDIS continues to provide the necessary support for people with disability.