Jodie Belyea (Dunkley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Before I speak to the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026, I first want to acknowledge the incredible organisations in the community of Dunkley for the work they do supporting people with disabilities. In particular, I would like to acknowledge the Brotherhood of St Lawrence and also Grace Professional Services and Sandi Grace, who is the CEO, who has worked tirelessly over the last few years to deliver services to those with a disability. Dunkley has a range of organisations that provide a range of services, so these reforms are really important to me and to the community.

Before I speak about the legislation, budgets or policy settings, I want to begin by saying this issue is also deeply personal to me. My husband works in the disability sector, and I've worked in the sector. Every day he sees the dedication of support workers, therapists, carers and providers who are doing everything they can to support Australians with a disability to live full, independent and dignified lives. I also have a family member who relies heavily on the NDIS, so these reforms are deeply personal to her as well. So, when I talk about this scheme, I don't see figures on a balance sheet; I see people—families trying to navigate complex systems while caring for loved ones and parents lying awake at night worrying about whether the supports their child relies upon will continue. I hear about participants in the office trying to maintain their independence and their dignity through the packages that they receive, and I meet with workers and providers who care deeply about the people they support and desperately want and need this scheme to continue and to succeed. That is why this conversation matters to me.

The NDIS is one of Australia's proudest achievements. It's been transforming lives for quite some years and has given Australians with disability greater choice, greater independence and greater opportunity than ever before. It is a scheme Australians should be very proud of. But, if we genuinely care about protecting the NDIS for future generations, then we must also be honest about the problems that have emerged within the system.

Over the past few years, I've heard those concerns loud and clear from people throughout my community. I've spoken to participants who feel exhausted by endless bureaucracy and delays as well as to families who feel overwhelmed trying to navigate processes that are often confusing and inconsistent. I've heard from support coordinators and providers who say they are spending more time battling administrative systems than supporting participants.

One of the biggest issues repeatedly raised with my office has been the failures within some of the systems. Providers have described spending hours every single day manually tracking reporting obligations because the system continues to generate tasks even after a participant has changed provider, received a new plan or tragically passed away. I've heard from organisations forced to create separate spreadsheets just to manage compliance failures within the portal. Workers are uploading explanation letters repeatedly because they cannot properly close out reports they are no longer responsible for. Providers cannot end support coordination relationships properly within the system. All of this creates enormous administrative burden, and much of that work remains unfunded. These are not minor frustrations. They're inefficiencies that take time, resources and energy away from participants themselves. They reduce the capacity of providers to focus on care and support.

I've also heard serious concerns about the growing imbalance between registered and unregistered providers. Many registered providers in my community are deeply worried about whether they can survive under the current system. These are organisations that invest heavily in compliance, staff training, participant safety and quality governance. They are trying to do the right thing, yet they are forced to compete against unregistered operators who face far lower costs and significantly less oversight.

Providers have told me about unregistered operators enticing vulnerable participants with gifts, cash incentives and promises that simply should not exist in a properly regulated care market. Meanwhile, compliant providers are struggling under rising operational costs, carrying the burden of meeting proper standards and obligations. This is creating a race to the bottom, and, ultimately, participants are the ones put at risk. These are real and practical market realities that cannot simply be ignored.

I've also heard from constituents frustrated by lengthy review and appeals processes. Families have told my office that they have struggled to access supports while waiting for Administrative Review Tribunal matters to be resolved. Others have raised concerns about internal reviews occurring without meaningful consultation or preparation. These stories matter. This information matters. The voices of the people that come and talk to me matter because they remind us, and me, why we are here. Behind every policy discussion is a person trying to live their life with dignity and security. This is why we need reform.

The Albanese Labor government understands that securing the future of the NDIS means confronting the problems that threaten its sustainability, integrity and public confidence. The reality is that, under the previous government, NDIS growth reached 22 per cent annually with no moderation in sight. Costs were escalating rapidly, fraud and exploitation were increasing, oversight was inadequate and confidence in the long-term sustainability of the scheme was being eroded. We cannot protect the NDIS by pretending these issues do not exist. We protect it by fixing them. That is what this bill seeks to do. These reforms are about restoring the scheme to its original purpose, supporting Australians with permanent and significant disability with reasonable and necessary supports while ensuring the scheme remains sustainable for future generations.

The government's reforms are focused on tackling fraud, slowing unsustainable cost growth, improving quality and safety, strengthening provider integrity, clarifying eligibility and ensuring supports are directed where they are most needed. These are necessary reforms. Australians rightly expect vulnerable people to receive safe and high-quality care. Good providers who pay staff properly, who maintain strong governance and who take participants' safety seriously should not be forced to compete against operators who are simply trying to make a quick buck. That is why strengthening provider registration requirements for high-risk services is so important. These changes will ensure that the overwhelming majority of funding flowing through the scheme goes to registered providers who meet proper standards of safety and accountability. That means stronger oversight, improved quality and better protections for participants and their families.

The government is also improving plan management arrangements and strengthening payment oversight so the NDIA has greater visibility over where money is going across the scheme. These are important reforms because the NDIS became a soft target for fraud and exploitation under arrangements that lacked sufficient safeguards and guardrails. Australians expect taxpayer money to support participants, not fraudsters.

The reforms also address a difficult but necessary issue: defining more clearly what the NDIS is designed to fund. When the NDIS was created, it was never intended to replace mainstream systems like schools, hospitals, child care or aged care. It was intended to provide reasonable and necessary disability supports for people with permanent and significant disabilities. That distinction matters because, if every gap across every government system is shifted onto the NDIS, the scheme will eventually become completely unsustainable. If the scheme becomes unsustainable, the people who rely on it the most are the ones who are going to suffer.

That is why clear eligibility requirements and planning frameworks are necessary not to unfairly exclude people but to restore clarity, consistency and confidence in how the scheme operates. Importantly, the government has committed to consulting with the disability community as these reforms are being implemented. That consultation matters because reforms done with the community will always be better than reforms done to the community.

The reality is that urgent financial controls are needed to secure the future of the scheme. The government has already brought growth down significantly from the unsustainable levels inherited from the previous government, and National Cabinet has agreed to work together to bring growth to more sustainable levels over time. This is not about dismantling the NDIS; it is about ensuring it survives, because no scheme can continue growing indefinitely without risking its long-term future.

While these reforms are necessary, I also want to acknowledge something very important: any change leads to fear, uncertainty and confusion about what these reforms mean. There is misinformation circulating online and within communities that is creating enormous distress for participants and families. Some people feel they will lose all supports. Families worry they will be abandoned. Providers fear instability and uncertainty about future arrangements. Many people simply do not know who or what to believe. We must acknowledge those fears respectfully and seriously, because for many families the NDIS is not just another government program; it is the difference between independence and crisis and between inclusion and isolation.

That is why communication from government is critical as these reforms are implemented. People need clear information. They need transparency. They need proper consultation and accessible explanations about what is changing and why. Communication cannot be treated as an afterthought. The government must engage directly with participants, carers, providers and advocacy organisations. It must ensure misinformation is corrected quickly and clearly. It must listen carefully when legitimate concerns are raised by the community. Trust will determine whether these reforms succeed.

Many of the concerns being raised by providers and participants are not arguments against reform; they are arguments for getting reform right. When providers ask for stronger registration requirements they are asking for participant safety, when they raise concerns about unregistered operators they are asking for integrity and fairness, when they raise concerns about the failures of the pay system they are asking for efficiency and accountability, and when participants ask for better communication and fairer review processes they are asking to be treated with dignity and respect. These are reasonable expectations.

The NDIS remains one of the most important social reforms in Australian history. Labor created it because we believe Australians with disability deserve opportunity, dignity and inclusion, and Labor are reforming it because we believe future generations deserve that same promise. Securing the NDIS means making difficult decisions now to ensure the scheme remains strong into the future. It means tackling fraud, improving quality and safeguards and restoring sustainability. This bill ensures support continues to go to Australians with permanent and significant disability—as originally intended.

We must never lose sight of the people at the centre of this system: the participant striving for independence, the parent fighting for their child, the support worker dedicating themselves to caring for others, and the families who simply want reassurance that the supports that they rely on will be there well into the future. There are things that remain unclear as we work through the process of the reforms, but I say to the people in my community: I will continue to advocate for your voices as we go about this reform. Understand that I am listening.

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