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Review Round-Up: 30 August 2023

Refining our views

Welcome to our latest ‘Review Round-up’.

Since our last edition we have been very busy, publishing our ‘What we have heard’ report and many of the submissions that have been submitted on the NDIS Review website. 

We are also continuing to meet with many of you as we prepare our final report. In both large and small meetings, we are listening to your feedback and ideas about how to get the NDIS working better for people with disability and their families.

We included five big challenges we are grappling with in our “What We Have Heard’ report. (If you have not had a chance to see it you can find it on our website.

Last week we started to talk to people about some of the ideas we are considering to deal with those big challenges. We talked with with the community in Newcastle on 22nd August (community and providers), and to workers at the Australian Services Union conference in Sydney on the 23rd August. Copies of the speeches and webinars are available via the News page on the NDIS Review website.

Coming up - Geelong

We also have another community event in Geelong coming up on the 6th September.

We would love you to come along and share a cuppa with us before the formal event kicks off at 11 am. 

And if you can’t make it along in person don’t worry.  We will also be streaming this event online from 11 am, with live captioning and AUSLAN interpretation available.

If you would like to attend, in person or online, please click below to register.

Update from the Panel Geelong community meeting (face to face)

Update from the Panel (livestream)

Last week, we also met with Disability Reform Ministers to take them through some of our ideas. The communique from this meeting will be available from their website shortly.

We look forward to seeing you then

Best wishes,

Bruce and Lisa

Co-Chairs, NDIS Review


The future of the NDIS and where we are heading

It was terrific to see everyone who attended the Newcastle event on Tuesday, and to hear your views. We also had more than 800 people join us online, asking questions and sharing their ideas. Because we could not get to all the questions, we will provide a wrap up of the event very soon.

If you missed the events don’t worry - a copy of the speeches as well as videos of both speeches and the question and answer sessions are now up on our website. There is also a news article on our website. The 'future of the NDIS and where we are heading' news article will allow you to re-watch the broadcasts, read Bruce's speeches or get an overview of the key reforms we are considering including:

  • Making sure the NDIS is part of a broader and joined up system of support, so there is support for all people with disability, not just for NDIS participants.
  • Rethinking how NDIS budgets are put together, including making sure ‘reasonable and necessary supports’ are set at an overall package level rather than creating budgets line-by-line.
  • Changes to the approach for early childhood, with investments in supports and early intervention practices that are based on best practice and better support for families.

Below are some pictures from the event.

Series of four images showing NDIS Review Panel Community Meeting in Newcastle. Image includes Welcome to Country, community members and Co-Chair Lisa Paul.

NDIS Review Panel Community Meeting in Newcastle. Image includes Welcome to Country, community members and Co-Chair Lisa Paul.

Series of four images showing NDIS Review Panel Community Meeting in Newcastle. Image includes Co-Chair Bruce Bonyhady giving a speech, community member asking questions and panel member Kirsten Deane.

NDIS Review Panel Community Meeting in Newcastle. Images include Co-Chair Bruce Bonyhady giving a speech, community member asking questions and panel member Kirsten Deane.

Australian Services Union meeting

Lisa was in Sydney last week, talking with the Australian Services Union community about where we are in the review, the emerging views from the panel and next steps.

In her speech she talked about how dismayed panel members are by what they have heard and found. And that unless significant action is taken, the integrity of the NDIS could be in danger.

Lisa outlined three key challenges that the Review is grappling with:

  • Making sure we get real, measurable outcomes for people with disability and their families.
  • Making sure there is a strong focus on quality of care.
  • And ways to strengthen the workforce.

The full speech is available on the NDIS Review website.

Series of four images showing NDIS Review Panel Co-Chair Lisa Paul speaking at the Australian Services Union (ASU) conference, Angus McFarland from ASU speaking and photo of all conference participants with Lisa Paul.

NDIS Review Panel Co-Chair Lisa Paul speaking at the Australian Services Union (ASU) conference, Angus McFarland from ASU speaking and all conference participants with Lisa Paul.

Public submissions now available to view 

The NDIS Review panel would like to thank all who have taken the time to make a submission. Since the start of the Review we have  received more than 2,500 submissions from participants, their families and those that support them. These are now being published on the NDIS Review website - submissions page.  It is important to note only the submissions that indicated and agreed to make them public are being published.

View the submissions published to date at the NDIS Review website - submissions page.

Written submissions extended until Friday 1 September 2023

The Review Panel has received many requests to extend the time for written submissions. Because we want as many people to have their say as possible has been extended until Friday 1 September 2023.

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