Dear DIA Members,
Today Mark Butler the Minister for Health Disability and Aging delivered an address at the National Press Club. (link: https://www.health.gov.au/ministers/the-hon-mark-butler-mp/media/minister-butler-speech-at-the-national-press-club-22-april-2026)
Our immediate reaction is one of surprise. We haven’t received clarity on how exactly these changes will impact members.
The speech foreshadows significant changes to the NDIS, including measures directed at plan management, support coordination and other intermediary functions. A number of matters raised today require urgent clarification, including what these announcements mean in practice, how they would be implemented, and what safeguards will be in place to protect participant outcomes, choice and control, continuity of service, and market stability.
DIA will continue to engage directly with the Government, the NDIA, the NDIS Commission and other relevant decision-makers, to seek immediate detail and clarification. What we agree on is the need to improve both integrity of the scheme and outcomes for participants. DIA members are already delivering high quality outcomes for participants and high value for the taxpayer, with no tolerance for unscrupulous behaviours such as those outlined by the minister.
For now, our message is this: We need to see the detail, understand the legislative pathway, test the policy assumptions, and engage directly with decision-makers before firm conclusions can be drawn. Like the 2022 NDIS Review, we know that over time decisions and outcomes will likely change.
DIA will continue to advocate strongly for members and for the critical role that quality plan management and support coordination play in participant safeguards, implementation, outcomes and scheme integrity.
We will provide further advice as soon as more information becomes available.
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FURTHER READING
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Department of Health, Disability and Ageing: Securing the NDIS for future generations