National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 962
25 May 2026
Hello,
I am a resident of Reservoir in Naarm/ Melbourne. I am a social worker and mental health practitioner and have worked across the community services sector in a range of roles over the past 15 years or so.
I provide mental health support to a number of people who are on the NDIS and many of my loved ones are also on the NDIS.
I am writing to say that I oppose the new NDIS bill.
The NDIS has made a huge difference to the lives of many individuals, families and communities since its establishment. I have witnessed that it has enabled people much greater independence, choice, autonomy and enabled participation in their families and communities in a way that would not be possible without the supports they receive through the NDIS.
I fear that without these supports, people would not get the support they need to be healthy and well, to sustain a meaningful social life, to participate in community, work and other aspects of society in the way they would like to. Further, I am gravely concerned about the potential harm that could be caused with these changes. Some of this harm includes (but is not limited to) people being subject to receiving personal care from people who they are not comfortable being naked in front of and wouldn’t want to be touched by, people being neglected (by carers not showing up etc). A beautiful element of the NDIS that I have witnessed firsthand for many people is that they are in a position to choose what care they have. When somebody lives in a body that does not afford them as much choice, ability and freedom as other bodies have, the least we can offer is the power to make choices about their access to personal care, healthcare and community participation.
As a mental health practitioner I am also incredibly concerned about the decline in mental health that will undoubtedly occur if the changes proposed by this Bill come into place. The decline in mental health that I suspect will occur will be due the lack of agency that people will have over their own lives, decreased access to social and community participation and increased risk of abuse, neglect and other experiences that are likely to cause trauma.
The Bill in its current form is HARMFUL and should NOT be passed by Parliament.
PLEASE do the right thing by all these people who deserve to make their own decisions about their lives.