Your chance to speak at NDIS independent assessments hearings

Photo from inside a conference room showing the backs of some people facing and speaking to the Joint Standing Committee on the NDIS who are seated at a table in the background.

The Joint Standing Committee on the NDIS is currently holding an inquiry into NDIS independent assessments. The committee wants people with disability and families to make 5-10 minute statements at their upcoming hearings. Here’s how you can get involved.

The Joint Standing Committee on the NDIS started in 2016 to keep an eye on the rollout of the NDIS. It has MPs and Senators from all parties. It regularly holds inquiries and publishes reports making recommendations about how the NDIS can be improved.

In December 2020 the Committee announced it would hold an inquiry into NDIS independent assessments.

We wanted to help get your messages to the Committee – so we opened up a form on our website, put your 900+ submissions together, summarised them, and sent them all off. They will publish our summary but keep your individual submissions private.

You can find all of the submissions to the inquiry on their website. Not all of them have been uploaded yet – so keep an eye on it. The EAC submission summary is yet to be uploaded – but we will put it up here very soon.

Public hearings on NDIS assessments

This week the Joint Standing Committee announced it will host a series of public hearings all over Australia:

Other NDIS hearings

These public hearings are about NDIS compulsory assessments. The Joint Standing Committee also hold public hearings on other NDIS topics.

Caloundra – General issues

Monday 28 June

More dates and locations will probably continue be announced

The hearings usually go from around 8:30/9am – 2:30pm/3pm. Different individuals and groups who made submissions are usually invited to speak about their submission, and answer questions from the Committee to help them understand.

Tune into the public hearings

The list of public hearings may change – get the latest info from the Committee’s website here.

If you can’t make it along to a public hearing you can tune in live online from the Australian Parliament website or read the Hansard transcripts later on. Follow along on Twitter using the #NDISJSC hashtag.

Have your say at a hearing

The Committee would like people with disability, their families and supporters to apply to make a short 5-10 minute statement at a hearing in person or over the internet or phone. They are especially interested in hearing from people who have participated in the NDIS assessment pilot. If you are interested or have any questions, you can get in touch with the Committee. Tell them:

Your name
Your state/city
A telephone number and email address so that they can contact you
Any accessibility requirements

Email:
Phone: (02) 6277 3083

Have your say to the NDIS Minister

Tell the Minister for the NDIS Linda Reynolds “Hands off our NDIS”

More information

Joint Standing Committee on the NDIS – Independent Assessments inquiry

Joint Standing Committee on the NDIS – Independent Assessments inquiry submissions

Joint Standing Committee on the NDIS – Independent Assessments inquiry public hearings

Media release – Opportunity to provide short statements at upcoming hearings

Media release – Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme: Committee launches inquiry into independent assessments

Every Australian Counts – All NDIS assessments news and explainers

News hub