Submission 2783
SUBMISSION TO THE COMMUNITY AFFAIRS LEGISLATION COMMITTEE
OF THE AUSTRALIAN SENATE
To the Community Affairs Legislation Committee of the Senate of Australia
My submission on the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment
(Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submitted by: Genevieve Tucker
28th May, 2026
I would like to draw the Committee’s attention to the excellent submission presented to you by Jarrod Sandell-Hay, no. 19
He outlines the risks the Bill poses to the disability community clearly and succinctly in his summary but the whole submission is detailed and superior to anything I can produce in this alarmingly brief time-frame. It also has a strong emphasis on the disappointment of the disability community, something I do not have time to even assimilate at present.
All I can sense is that with a decent fossil fuels tax to assist with revenue, some of this cost-cutting could be avoided. More time could be spent designing this Bill with greater care, to correct some of the many flaws of the NDIS and truly secure it for future generations.
Mr Sandell-Hay writes in his final summary:
“This Bill asks disabled people to accept a very high level of risk.
It risks reducing support before replacement systems exist. It risks narrowing access before the community has seen the rules.
It risks treating community participation as optional. It risks fragmenting people with multiple impairments.
It risks suspending people who are hardest to contact.
It risks automating decisions in a system already difficult to navigate.
It risks shifting costs to state and territory systems that are not ready.
It risks undermining self-management and trusted personal care arrangements.
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Submission 2783
SUBMISSION TO THE COMMUNITY AFFAIRS LEGISLATION COMMITTEE
OF THE AUSTRALIAN SENATE
The NDIS needs reform, but reform must make the Scheme fairer, safer, more transparent and more rights-based.
This Bill does not yet meet that test.
The Bill should be withdrawn and redesigned with disabled people and their representative organisations.
If the Bill is not withdrawn, the Senate committee must allow more time for consultation, evidence, modelling and evaluation before Parliament is asked to proceed.“
I am most concerned about the automating of decisions.
Also I would hate to see those who enjoy their time in the community being restricted to disability based activity centres if community funding support is lost.
I would also recommend to you some remarks on alternative cost-cutting suggestions in Submission 29, from Tanya Dupagne, OAM. These suggestions have helped me clarify my own thoughts on how the current funding arrangements are wasting good money.
The NDIS began with the best of intentions and has widespread community support.
Any reforms must address making the front end of the system streamlined. It is the kind of system that is ripe for a repeat of the RoboDebt debacle, if automation is not managed well.
It doesn’t surprise me that fraud has been perpetrated as there are simply not enough people employed in the system to check on it.
If I require assistance from NDIA employees, I go to an NDIA office at opening time on Monday morning. It is a complete waste of my time to use the telephone service. I am fortunate that I live fairly close to an office, and not everyone is this lucky. Administration of this complex legislation and its services is just appallingly slow and convoluted.
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Submission 2783
SUBMISSION TO THE COMMUNITY AFFAIRS LEGISLATION COMMITTEE
OF THE AUSTRALIAN SENATE
Finally, the sentence Mr Sandell-Hay uses to commence his statement of risks to the disabled community uses the word “asks”. I think that is a very polite way of putting it - I would say the Bill demands that we take even more risks than we have already in being part of the NDIS.
Only having two weeks to address these reforms is insulting and deeply depressing. I implore the committee to do their best to give everyone more time to work on this.
Thank you for reading my submission.
Yours sincerely,
Genevieve Tucker
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