Overview

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is designed to empower Australians with disabilities by funding individualised plans that provide “reasonable and necessary” supports to enhance independence, quality of life, and social and economic participation. However, feedback from families, carers, and service providers in Spence reveals a system that is overly complex, inconsistent, and disconnected from the needs of those it serves. Participants face slashed support plans, inaccessible services, relentless red tape, and, in some cases, complete exclusion from critical supports and equipment. This puts their health, well-being, and safety at serious risk. The NDIS requires urgent reform to restore its purpose: a participant-first system that is transparent, fair, and accountable.

The Problem

• Bureaucracy over people: The NDIS prioritises administrative processes over participants’ actual needs, leaving many without essential supports.
• Unfair cuts and delays: Support plans are reduced without explanation, and lengthy approval processes for equipment and services create dangerous gaps in care.
• Lack of transparency: Families and participants are left questioning where NDIS funds are going when critical supports remain underfunded.
• Inflated costs: Some providers charge exorbitant prices simply because services are NDIS-funded, reducing the value of plans.
• Trauma-related disabilities ignored: Conditions such as Complex Trauma, Developmental Trauma Disorder (DTD), and PTSD, despite their profound, lifelong impacts, are not currently recognised under NDIS eligibility criteria, excluding many people from the necessary supports that enable independence, recovery, and quality of life.
• No accountability: Complaints processes are inadequate, and there is no independent pathway to investigate systemic failures or ensure swift action.

Our Vision

An NDIS that is participant-focused, transparent, and responsive, ensuring every dollar reaches those who need it most. We will fight for a system that eliminates red tape, prioritises fairness, and recognises the full spectrum of disabilities, including trauma-related disorders.

Policy Commitments

• Participant-First NDIS: Redesign the system to prioritise participants’ actual needs, ensuring plans are tailored to individual goals, not administrative convenience.
• Greater Transparency: Mandate regular, public reporting on NDIS fund allocation to expose inefficiencies and ensure funds reach participants.
• Cut Red Tape: Streamline approvals, reviews, and equipment access to deliver faster, simpler processes that reduce stress for participants and families.
• Stronger Local Access: Increase the number of providers and support services in Spence to ensure equitable access to quality care.
• Fairer Planning Decisions: Eliminate unexplained plan cuts and reform appeal processes to make them clear, accessible, and equitable.
• Independent Complaints Pathway: Establish a truly independent body to investigate complaints, address systemic issues, and enforce swift corrective action.
• Recognition of Trauma-Related Disabilities: Expand NDIS eligibility criteria to include Complex Trauma, DTD, and PTSD, acknowledging their lifelong impacts on mental health, behaviour, and community participation, and ensuring access to necessary supports.
• Answer the Big Question – Where Is the Money Going?: Launch an inquiry into NDIS fund allocation to uncover why costs are rising while participants face service gaps, and hold providers accountable for inflated pricing.

Why This Matters

The NDIS was created to empower people with disabilities, but it is failing too many. Families are exhausted, participants are missing out, and the system’s inefficiencies are putting lives at risk. By prioritising participants, cutting bureaucracy, and demanding accountability, we can rebuild an NDIS that delivers on its promise: a fair, transparent, and life-changing support system for all Australians with disabilities.

Call to Action

If elected, I will strongly advocate for these reforms to ensure the NDIS works for Spence and beyond. Together, we can demand answers, restore trust, and build a system that truly puts people first.