A submission to the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee Inquiry into the NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 — arguing that the Bill's cost modelling is fiscally incomplete and will predictably increase harm to disabled children.
About this submission
This submission addresses five provisions of the NDIS Amendment Bill 2026 that, taken together, will predictably increase disabled children's exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) — and generate downstream costs across health, child protection, and justice systems that far exceed any projected NDIS savings.
The Bill's projected $37.8 billion in savings does not account for what Centrelink, Medicare, state mental health services, child protection, and the justice system will spend absorbing what it removes.
Five federal and national evidence bases are cited: the National Mental Health Commission (2021), the Disability Royal Commission (2023), the Australian Child Maltreatment Study (2023), the Parenting Research Centre (2026), and the Productivity Commission (2020).
Five provisions addressed:
Proposed section 17B and amended section 34(1): legislating parental responsibility obligations
Proposed subsection 9B(1): functional capacity access criteria
Proposed subsections 24(5)(a) and 25(1B)(a): requirement to exhaust all appropriate treatment
Proposed section 25B: eligibility exclusions based on access to other service systems
Proposed section 34A: Ministerial determination enabling 50% reduction in social participation funding
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Get in touch
Dr Kate Renshaw is available to provide further evidence to the Committee, speak with media, or brief advocates and organisations working in disability, child protection, and early intervention.
Contact Dr Kate