National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 3342
SOME IMPLICATIONS OF LABOUR PLANS TO REDUCE NDIS FUNDING
My son, Oliver Gamble, has Down Syndrome, and now has NDIS funding for 24/7 care o Since birth he has had a constant high level of anxiety. In 2017 he was diagnosed with a serious second disability of Major Depression with Catatonia. He spent six months in Box Hill Hospital psychiatric unit in Melbourne. Over the next three years, using monthly triage visits with hospital psychiatrists, his medications were finetuned, to try to manage escalating depression and OCB’s. During this time - dressing, sitting down, getting up, going to the toilet, getting into a car, etc. – could each take up to an hour to accomplish o His intellectual disability is that of a four-year-old child. He is now 49 years old. He has had laser treatment for a squint in both eyes for ocular misalignment and is needing now to have another operation for the same reason. He also has a Schizo-affective Disorder o He spent his 1st year in hospital having many operations on his digestive tract. Now he has regular cycles of constipation and diarrhea. His arms are too short to reach to clean himself. He has a surgically created oesophagus, and a large section of alimentary tract, removed Difficulties faced – in move to 24/7 care o My wife is now 89 years of age. In March 2024 we made the move to put Oliver into 24/7 care with BET Global, as we could no longer cope with his disabilities. He moved in with an 18 year old girl, who is a ward of the state. As such, no information was allowed to be given to us of her disabilities – only that she was a good match o Over the next months in 24/7 care, we found that on many occasions Oliver was unable to leave the house - and was left watching TV for much of each day, by himself o Because the house is 2-story, and Oliver has a TV lounge-bedroom upstairs, he was often left alone, with his housemate constantly wanting the carer downstairs to talk to her o His new housemate had a traumatic early family life - and has regular nightmares, screaming and banging on Oliver’s wall throughout the night. She has frequent trips to the hospital by ambulance, and on many days does not feel well enough to go out of the house, due to various medical problems, also for not wanting to do the same activity as Oliver o This meant that Oliver was substantially restricted, in being able to leave the house - and left for long intervals, by himself all day watching TV, unable to engage in activities of his choice, unable to continue to build his independence, confidence and social skills. It has also meant that when we take Oliver out for a family outing, such that when we return he is often reticent to go back into the house o Because of the nature of their disabilities, the carers are run off their feet trying to cope with the load of daily house activities & personal care - for 2 people with serious mental & physical disabilities Essential need for quality community interactions o Oliver’s mental stability, health & wellbeing depends on close contact with friends, family, and community, and having sufficient daily exercise. We were finally able to get 1:1 NDIS funding in his current NDIS plan, which now allows him to go out for 5 hours each day, from Tuesday to Friday each week - to engage in mini golf, 10 pin bowling, lawn bowls, library, visiting the farmers market, church, swimming, shopping, going for walks each day at Laratinga Wetland, and visiting family and friends Plan to reduce funding for social, civic, and community participation, by ~$7,000/person (30-50%) o Reducing this funding which Oliver only has for half a week, by 50% is morally criminal. To lock residents inside a house all day - robs them of a quality of life, all citizens have a right to expect, from just and compassionate governing. Oliver’s health and wellbeing would be seriously impacted, and the end cost of throwing him back into hospital & nursing home, substantial. If this government does not act with compassionate justice, they will quickly lose the right to govern. Government’s first option - is too often, to rob the weak and powerless - to continue to fill the pockets of the privileged and powerful
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 3342
o These are real people who deserve to be treated with respect & dignity. They contribute, substantially in income and social enrichment, something this government is loath to acknowledge, in their cost analyses