Community Feedback Highlights Key Issues
Community consultation in Kooyong has revealed significant concerns about proposed cuts to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Independent Member for Kooyong, Dr Monique Ryan, has urged the Albanese Government to address these issues before the legislation is debated in Parliament next week.
This week, Dr Ryan conducted two community sessions involving over 70 local NDIS participants, carers, families, and service providers. Additional feedback was gathered via phone and email, highlighting widespread anxiety about the scheme’s shift from a rights-based model to a focus on cost containment. Participants identified a fundamental change in the character of the scheme.
Key concerns raised include the rapid pace of reforms, lack of consultation, and transparency. Participants fear that funding changes are isolating individuals with disabilities and increasing their risks, particularly with inadequate support pathways for children and those with fluctuating needs. Decisions are being made without appropriate clinical input or understanding of individual needs.
Proposed Legislative Amendments
Dr Ryan plans to propose amendments to ensure alternative supports are in place before eligibility and funding changes occur. She seeks stronger safeguards around ministerial powers affecting participant eligibility and challenges the restrictions on reviewing NDIS decisions. The potential automation of non-existent assessment tools is a significant concern.
Participants have expressed fear that ministerial discretion is expanding while parliamentary oversight is being reduced or abolished entirely. This could impact the fairness of the NDIS. Dr Ryan emphasised, “There is universal agreement that the NDIS needs to be sustainable and that fraud must be addressed. But there is also increasing concern that the government is citing fraud, rorting, and waste as excuses for cuts enacted without adequate consultation.”
The Bill is expected to be debated in Parliament next week, with Dr Ryan’s amendments aiming to restore transparency, accountability, and rights protections for the disability community. Provider and workforce sustainability is under serious threat, particularly in thin markets. The fraud narrative is stigmatising and does not reflect the lived experience of participants or providers.
