National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 959
My name is Marc Mittag. I live in Clunes NSW and am an NDIS carer, a Life Coach at Amplified Life Coaching and Founder of Freedom For Guitarists.
I am a professional composer and musician, an entrepreneur and a property renovator. Butimportantly, I have worked with clients on the spectrum for over 20 years and as a carer via the NDIS for the past 5 years.
I have a client and their family that I have supported on and off for the past 10 years. Thanks to the NDIS funding, I have seen this client and their family go from absolute distress to living a life of dignity and possibilities. The client’s mother has been fighting a rare debilitating illness for 8 years past her terminal diagnosis. The client is a largely non-verbal young man on the spectrum in need of round the clock support. Thanks to the NDIS, we have been working with the client to develop some of his obsessions, or special interests into a skill set that he might contribute to others with and to develop his interpersonal skills and personal care skills. This has been life changing for him and his family. Thanks to the NDIS, he has an entire team built around him and is learning skills that he absolutely will need when his parents are no longer around. Without the care and support he is receiving, his anxiety levels can quickly reach critical and self harming behaviours escalate rapidly and aggressively. But with the engagement and support, the client is building resilience, understanding and skills and has a future that he deserves as a member of our community.
Most of the carers that I have met are entrepreneurs, artists or are burned out nurses or carers for their own parents or family. The paid work as a carer is funding the arts, startup business people and front line carers with a means of earning money through contributing their skills where otherwise there would be few options available. The arts in Australia have been torn apart with venues closing, education institutions closing, festivals discontinued and once illegal music download services like Spotify devaluing recorded music to almost zero. The NDIS is one way that artists can contribute to their community and earn a living while they continue to contribute to Australian culture in-between. Burned out nurses and paramedics can continue to use some of their skills and contribute to their community in a less intense way. People who are caring for their elderly parents or unwell family without pay, can take on part time work and be paid for their caring services in order to stay afloat financially. The trickle down effect is significant.
I absolutely oppose the Bill as it is presented currently. Although I believe changes and reform is necessary, I can not see the value in squeezing funding from the disabled, the arts and carers as a solution to budgeting issues.
Australia refuses to tax mining and allows tax dodges for the wealthy, but is happy to reduce funding for the disabled, Indigenous projects, Aged Care, The Arts, it is focused on higher taxes for Mum and Dad investors trying to plan for their future with a couple of investment properties rather than taxing big developers. The new tenancy laws and tax reforms make renting too risky to be a trustworthy investment. Now the NDIS is being carved up and reduced and the level of service and assessment being degraded so that more people miss out and more people fall through the cracks. Australia is headed down a dangerous path and is losing its reputation internationally. Change is needed. But not the degradation of quality of care and support available for our most in need.
I know that the clients I serve, one of which is diagnosed as level 3 Autism and can not clearly communicate their needs, concerns, fears or pain, absolutely rely on the NDIS funded regular carers they work with. Without the support of a team that gets to know his communication style (Gestalt) and his routine, this client would become HIGHLY anxious, a danger to themselves, and would no doubt end up negatively affecting others due to ending up in inappropriate housing and without support.
Other clients I work with, without the engagement and support and modelling of healthy choices and behaviours would revert back to community “problems†and absolutely end up in hospital, gaol or worse. Reducing their funding suddenly or worse, removing the support altogether would have devastating effects not just on the client, but on the community they are a part of. With support, these people are functioning healthy members of the community. Without it, it will cost the tax payer far more if they end up in the prison system or hospitalised for extended periods.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 959
These young adults do not function well with carers who do not know their individual needs. And this knowledge can not be learned in a day. Consistent carers get to know communication styles, red flag behaviour, can avert anxiety attacks or trauma responses early and avoid harm and can create routines that nurture and up skill. Rotating staff carers from organisations without any relationship to the client will not work. Some will regress, some will simply not engage and others will run away and end up on the street. This is no exaggeration.
The idea that an algorithm can determine the status and needs of an individual with complex support needs is ignorant, irresponsible and potentially harmful.
This Bill in its current form is harmful, and should not be passed by parliament. I have been a labour supporter for many years and have respected much of the work this Albanese government has been doing. But recent activities including this Bill, are pushing me to put my vote to better use in the next election.
Kind Regards,
Marc Mittag
“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.” - Muhammad Ali