Submission 654
Submission to the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future
Generations) Bill 2026
Protecting sustainability without reducing access to timely supports
We are writing as the Directors of a multidisciplinary practice based in Sydney, NSW.
Our team provides Speech Pathology, Occupational Therapy, Counselling, Parent
Education and group programs for children, adolescents and young adults with developmental delay, autism, disability, neurodegenerative disorders, ADHD, syndromes, and other neurodevelopmental differences.
We support the objective of ensuring the long-term sustainability of the NDIS. Like many providers, we recognise the importance of reducing fraud, improving consistency and ensuring the Scheme remains available for people with significant and lifelong disability. However, we are concerned about the potential unintended consequences of some proposed reforms if implementation occurs before alternative systems and pathways are fully established, adequately funded, and accessible to the families who rely on them.
A significant proportion of the individuals we support access intervention during critical developmental periods. Delays in accessing assessment, reassessment, or ongoing supports can have long-term impacts on communication, learning, participation, emotional wellbeing, independence, and future life outcomes. While policy settings often focus on future cost savings, families experience these changes in real time through increased waiting periods, uncertainty, and reduced access to services.
We are particularly concerned about the practical impact of reassessment processes and any tightening of eligibility criteria. Many neurodivergent individuals present with fluctuating needs that may not be easily captured through standardised assessments. Families already report difficulty navigating complex systems, and additional administrative requirements risk creating further barriers to support rather than improving outcomes. If eligibility or reassessment changes are introduced, they should occur gradually, with clear transition arrangements, extensive consultation, and a strong focus on minimising administrative burden for both families and clinicians.
There is also a risk that reforms may increase pressure on services outside the NDIS. Families who lose access to funded supports often turn to schools, public health services, and community organisations that are already operating under significant demand. In many regions, there are limited alternatives available. For this reason, it is critical that alternative support systems are fully established, adequately resourced, and capable of meeting demand before access to existing supports is reduced.
Submission 654
We are particularly concerned about the impact of reforms on children and young people with developmental delay, autism, and other neurodevelopmental differences. Early intervention is most effective when support is timely, flexible, and responsive to changing needs. Delays during key developmental windows cannot always be recovered later, making it essential that the impact of reforms on these cohorts is carefully monitored and evaluated over time.
The current cuts and increasing restrictions to NDIS supports for teenagers and young adults are also deeply concerning, particularly given the well-established evidence that the transition period following school is one of the most critical stages in determining long-term outcomes for disabled people. This period should be recognised as a key investment stage within the NDIS, rather than a point at which supports are reduced. The NDIS itself has previously recognised the importance of early investment during these years to support education, skill development, employment pathways, independence, and community participation.
Reducing supports at this stage is not only short-sighted but risks undermining the very outcomes the Scheme was designed to achieve. Many young people require increased, not reduced, support during adolescence and early adulthood as social, educational, sensory, emotional, and executive functioning demands significantly increase. Without adequate supports, many are at heightened risk of burnout, mental health decline, disengagement from education, unemployment, and long-term dependence on more intensive systems later. Investment during these years is not a cost burden; it is preventative, economically responsible, and essential to enabling disabled young people to meaningfully contribute to society according to their strengths and capacities.
From a provider perspective, ongoing uncertainty also affects workforce planning, recruitment, and service sustainability. Small and medium providers deliver a substantial proportion of intervention services across Australia. We support quality and accountability measures; however, increasing registration, compliance, and auditing requirements come with significant financial and administrative costs.
Many clinicians have already completed extensive university training, maintain professional registration, and meet ongoing professional development requirements. Additional layers of compliance risk creating duplication without necessarily improving outcomes for participants. Proposed registration requirements may also impose substantial costs on providers at a time when many are already operating within narrow financial margins. This is particularly challenging for small businesses, which play a critical role in delivering community-based supports but may struggle to absorb increasing compliance fees and administrative demands.
Submission 654
At the same time, provider operating costs continue to rise, including wages, supervision, rent, insurance, technology, and professional development, while fee structures continue to remain the same rate since the start of NDIS. The cumulative effect places considerable pressure on service viability and workforce sustainability. If providers are unable to absorb these costs, families may experience reduced service availability, longer waitlists, and fewer choices for support, particularly in regional and underserved communities.
We encourage the Committee to consider the practical realities facing individuals, families, and providers. Sustainability is important, but reforms should not reduce access to the supports that help individuals communicate, participate, learn, develop independence, and thrive.
Recommendations
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Ensure any eligibility or reassessment changes are introduced gradually, with clear transition arrangements and extensive consultation.
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Recognise adolescence and the transition to adulthood as critical intervention periods and ensure supports remain available to young people during these stages of increased need.
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Monitor the impact of reforms on children with developmental delay, autism, and other neurodevelopmental differences.
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Ensure alternative support systems are fully established and adequately funded before reducing access to existing supports.
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Minimise administrative burden on families and clinicians.
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Consider the impact of reforms on workforce sustainability, provider viability, service availability, and waitlists, particularly in regional and underserved communities.
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Ensure any provider registration and compliance requirements are proportionate, avoid duplication of existing professional regulation, and do not create barriers to the sustainability of small and medium providers.