National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 718
I write as the parent of a child who receives NDIS supports. Like many families, we rely on the scheme not as a perk but because our child needs timely, coordinated help so they can learn, communicate, participate, and thrive.
I am deeply worried about the proposed NDIS legislative changes and what they mean for children’s access to reasonable and necessary supports. Children’s needs are not fixed or optional: without the right therapies, equipment, and early support, delays compound and costs, human and societal, grow. Any shift that narrows eligibility, slows decisions, or makes funding harder to hold onto will hit families like ours first, and hit children hardest.
What we need from government is certainty founded on fairness. Families need clear rights written into law and reflected in everyday practice, not vague wording that invites inconsistent interpretation across planners and reviewers. We need fair decision-making: transparent criteria, proportionate reviews, and review mechanisms that genuinely correct mistakes when a child’s needs are understated or misunderstood. We need sustained early intervention so development is supported when neuroplasticity and learning matter most, not after avoidable regressions or crisis. We need continuity of therapy and allied supports that match the real impact of disability on daily life, not checklists unrelated to functioning, safety, or inclusion at school and in the community.
The NDIS began as a promise that Australians with disability, including children, would not be left to struggle alone. I urge the Committee to ensure that any legislative reform strengthens that promise: protects access for children, embeds enforceable fairness, and keeps supports aligned with actual need. Our children deserve nothing less.