19/08/2026
๐ก๐๐๐ฆ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐ฆ: ๐ฆ๐ข ๐ช๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐ง๐จ๐๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐?
After a restless night and an annoyingly early wake-up, I am sitting here with my double-shot espresso โ ready to work through exactly what further changes were made to the NDIS reforms Bill compared with the version we were looking at when the Senate Committee released its final report.
Thankfully, Parliamentary Services has already done the heavy lifting and published a summary (see link-https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-08/final-changes-to-the-ndis-amendment-securing-the-ndis-for-future-generations-bill-2026.pdf )
And while I remain deeply concerned โ and incredibly sad โ about the legislation that passed last night, there were some further amendments that are important to acknowledge. Some are genuinely welcome.
A few that particularly stand out to me:
๐น ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐น ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฏ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐๐ โ importantly, it now does not include the additional support a child requires because of their disability compared with a child of a similar age without disability.
๐น ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ โ decision-makers must consider the risk of harm to informal supports, family relationships and informal networks if a support isn't funded.
๐น ๐จ๐ป๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฑ๐๐น๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ โ the requirement that certain changes be โunanticipatedโ has been removed. There is also now a 90-day deemed refusal if the NDIA doesn't decide a request, creating a pathway to review.
๐น ๐ฆ๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ โ further categories have been protected, including high-intensity supports, complex behaviour supports, customised/wearable technology and hearing supports.
๐น ๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฐ-๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ โ an additional safeguard has been introduced for certain participants with high support needs requiring continuous 24-hour disability-related care to request an unscheduled plan reassessment if affected by a support determination.
There are also further changes concerning functional capacity assessments, debt recovery, compensation, plan management, fraud, kickbacks, nominees and whistleblower protections.
Some of these are good changes. I have no difficulty saying that. But they don't make my fundamental concerns about this legislation disappear.
The support-determination architecture remains.
The changes affecting Social, Civic and Community Participation and capacity-building funding remain.
The new functional-capacity access framework remains.
And we are still facing the enormous question of what happens to people who will ultimately be expected to rely upon foundational and mainstream supports that dont currently exist
I can acknowledge the improvements while still believing this legislation will cause significant harm to people with disability. Both things can be true.
I'll put the official Parliamentary summary of the further amendments in the comments for anyone who wants to read the detail for themselves.
