Joint Submission: NDIS Bill to Senate Inquiry

Read the full submission

Disability Representative Organisations have made a joint submission to the Senate Inquiry on NDIS reform legislation, highlighting key concerns and the need for safeguards and consultation. The submission focuses on cross-sector issues, including: 

• Inadequate scrutiny, meaningful consultation and transparency;  
• Need for alignment with broader government commitments, evidence and economic modelling; 
• Sequencing, continuity of support and system readiness; 
• Risks to participants rights and safety; 
• Expanded ministerial powers and reduced accountability. 

DROs support reform of the NDIS and recognise the importance of long-term Scheme sustainability, integrity and participant safety. However, reforms of this scale must be evidence-based, properly sequenced and implemented with safeguards that ensure people with disability are not exposed to avoidable harm.  

The current legislation does not yet provide sufficient assurance that these conditions have been met. Accordingly, the key recommendation at the centre of our submission is: the Bill not proceed in its current form or within the current timeframe. We also advocate that additional time be used to allow:  

• Extension of the Senate Committee Inquiry to enable genuine consultation and accessible engagement with people with disability and representative organisations to occur.   
• Robust evidence, modelling and impact analysis to be completed and publicly released.   
• Foundational supports, mainstream interfaces and transitional arrangements be clearly established and independently evaluated.   
• Strong participant safeguards and continuity-of-support protections be embedded within the legislation and implementation framework.  
• The cumulative impacts of the reforms on people with disability, families and communities be properly assessed.   
• Expanded Ministerial powers be amended and subject to stronger safeguards, transparency and accountability mechanisms.   
• Reforms be demonstrably aligned with government commitments, and list specific commitments that require alignment with reforms. 

About our organisations

The DRO Program is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (the Department) to represent the voices, experiences and perspectives of people with disability in policy, legislative and systemic reform processes that affect their lives.  

This submission reflects shared cross-sector concerns regarding the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 and the current parliamentary process. 

The following Disability Representative organisations are parties to this submission: 

• Australian Autism Alliance 
• Australian Federation of Disability Organisations  
• Children and Young People with Disability Australia  
• Community Mental Health Australia 
• Disability Advocacy Network Australia  
• Down Syndrome Australia Consortium 
• First Peoples Disability Network Australia  
• Inclusion Australia  
• National Ethnic Disability Alliance  
• People with Disability Australia  
• Physical Disability Australia 
• Women With Disabilities Australia