Submission 2821
Submission to the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee on the
Dear Legislation Committee,
We write to you on behalf of the Little Heroes Foundation Advocacy & Community Action Group, an independent group of professionals and advocates committed to improving outcomes for children, families and vulnerable Australians.
Our group brings together experience from medicine, disability, primary healthcare, child protection, positive behaviour support, community services, public policy and advocacy. Collectively we have spent decades working alongside families, clinicians, educators, disability providers and governments. We have seen firsthand where systems work well and where they fall short.
Our purpose is simple we advocate for practical evidence-based reforms that improve the lives of children and families while strengthening Australia’s health, disability and community systems, we believe the best outcomes come through collaboration, genuine consultation and policy that reflects the realities faced by people on the frontline every day.
It is in that spirit that we write to express our deep concern regarding the proposed changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and the unintended consequences they may have for people with disability, families, carers, service providers and Australia’s broader health and social support systems.
The NDIS is not perfect, but it must not be weakened. There are legitimate concerns about sustainability, consistency of decision making, fraud, waste, delays and administrative complexity. These issues must be addressed. However, legislation that reduces access to supports, increases barriers to participation, and shifts responsibility elsewhere does not solve these problems. It simply transfers them.
Families who lose access to support do not suddenly require less assistance, children do not become less disabled, adults do not become less dependent on care. Instead, the burden is simply shifted from one system to another, often at a greater human and economic cost.
We are particularly concerned about the increasing expectation that unpaid carers, most often women, will absorb the shortfall. Across Australia, mothers, fathers, grandparents, siblings and other informal carers already provide countless hours of unpaid care each week. Many have reduced their workforce participation, put careers on hold, and sacrificed their own physical and mental wellbeing to support loved ones. Further reducing formal supports risks placing even greater pressure on these families, many of whom are already at breaking point.
www.littleheroesfoundation.com.au
5 George Street Stepney SA 5067
Submission 2821
We are equally concerned about the impact on ethical and responsible service providers. The overwhelming majority of providers entered this sector because they genuinely care about improving lives. They operate in an increasingly complex environment, in which they face rising compliance requirements, workforce shortages and financial pressures. If reforms continue to increase uncertainty and administrative burden, while reducing the viability of quality services, there is a real risk that some of the best providers will leave the sector altogether. Those who are committed to providing high quality, person-centred support should not be placed in a position where they cannot continue to operate, while other providers willing to deliver the bare minimum may remain. This will leave participants with fewer choices and poorer outcomes. The NDIS should be strengthened, not weakened.
Changes to the NDIS affect every Australian. It is also important to remind Australians that disability is not something that affects “other people”. Disability can occur at any stage of life. It can arise through illness, accident, injury, genetic conditions, ageing or the birth of a child with additional needs. No individual, family or community is immune from the possibility that disability may one day touch their lives. For those who have never navigated the disability system it can be difficult to fully appreciate the emotional, financial and practical challenges that families face. The constant appointments, therapies, advocacy, assessments, paperwork and uncertainty can become all consuming. Behind every NDIS plan is a person, a family, and a story that deserves dignity, respect and support.
For Australians who believe they will never personally require the NDIS, these reforms still matter. When people with disability are unable to access the supports they need through the NDIS, they will be redirected to already overcrowded state systems including public hospitals, emergency departments, mental health services, community health services and general practice.
Every Australian relies on these systems. Longer waiting lists, increased emergency department presentations and greater pressure on already stretched healthcare services affect the entire community. They affect the parent waiting for specialist care for their child, the older Australian awaiting treatment, the person experiencing a mental health crisis and the patient requiring urgent medical attention. This is not simply a disability issue, it is a healthcare issue, an economic issue and a community issue.
A sustainable NDIS and a sustainable public health system are not competing priorities; they are intrinsically linked. When the NDIS functions effectively, people receive the supports they need in the most appropriate setting. When those supports are reduced or delayed, pressure is transferred to systems that are already struggling to meet demand. Every additional demand placed on hospitals and community health services has consequences for waiting times, workforce pressures and access to care for all Australians. Whether someone is waiting for cancer treatment, specialist care, surgery, mental health support or emergency treatment delays created by an overwhelmed system affect everyone. The question is not whether these costs exist, but where they are borne. We believe it is far more effective, humane and economically responsible to provide appropriate support through the NDIS than to force families into crisis and rely on more expensive state based services to respond after the fact, whether or not you are an NDIS participant today the strength of our disability support system affects the strength of our healthcare system tomorrow.
www.littleheroesfoundation.com.au
5 George Street Stepney SA 5067
Submission 2821
The NDIS is not merely an expenditure; it is an investment. Research consistently demonstrates that disability supports generate significant economic and social returns. For every dollar invested through the NDIS, approximately $2.25 is returned to the Australian economy through increased workforce participation, job creation, improved productivity and reduced reliance on crisis-based systems.
When people with disability are appropriately supported, they participate in education, employment and community life. Families remain in the workforce. Carers experience improved wellbeing. Communities become stronger and more inclusive.
Our Position
We urge the Australian Government to reconsider any legislative changes that risk reducing access to essential supports while failing to address the root causes of inefficiency and waste within the Scheme.
Reform should focus on eliminating fraud, improving accountability, ensuring consistent decision making, strengthening workforce capability and delivering better outcomes for participants. It should not come at the expense of those who rely on the Scheme to live safe, meaningful and connected lives.
Australia can have a sustainable NDIS, Australia can have accountability, and Australia can have reform. However, we cannot achieve those goals by shifting costs to families, carers, service providers and state systems that are already under immense pressure.
The measure of any society is how it treats its most vulnerable citizens. We urge you to ensure that any reforms to the NDIS strengthen that commitment rather than diminish it.
Yours Sincerely,
Chris McDermott OAM; Dr Rodney Pearce AM; Nicole Borzillo; Lisa O’Malley; James LaBrooy
Little Heroes Foundation Advocacy & Community Action Group
www.littleheroesfoundation.com.au