The Business Council of Australia (BCA) strongly supports the Government’s objective of placing the NDIS on a fiscally sustainable footing and shares the policy intent behind the Bill’s integrity, fraud and quality provisions. The scheme cannot deliver for Australians if growth continues unchecked or fraudulent providers are able to operate in the market.
A quarter of BCA members are directly invested in the health, disability and aged care sectors – operators, insurers, technology providers, professional services firms and research institutions that employ a substantial share of the national care workforce and underpin significant private investment in the system the Bill seeks to reform.
The BCA supports the shift to stronger governance, integrity and management of the NDIS. At the same time, the speed and breadth of the reforms – particularly those reshaping the provider market and the care workforce – risk unintended consequences across the broader health and care economy if they are not carefully sequenced. Our submission identifies three areas where further engagement with industry is needed before key provisions commence.
To help implementation succeed, the BCA recommends the Government:
- Avoid a two-tier provider market that erodes investment and choice: Engage with affected segments of the market to ensure care settings align with policy intent, and design reforms that sustain investment, uphold quality and integrity, and maintain a diverse provider base, including specialised services.
- Sequence the reforms to support the care workforce: Sequence reforms to support a sustainable care workforce by recognising cumulative care sector pressures, providing clear policy certainty, and undertaking a workforce impact assessment to ensure changes strengthen workforce capacity across sectors rather than shift costs or create unintended shortages.
- Manage spillover into the broader health and care sector: Recognise the interdependence across the care system by ensuring reforms are well-sequenced, supported by strong governance, and informed through targeted industry engagement and consultation to enable a coordinated and sustainable implementation.
This Bill represents an important step forward, and realising its full potential will depend on continued collaboration between government, industry and the disability community. The BCA supports a fiscally sustainable NDIS – one that supports participants, attracts ongoing private investment, and underpins a productive, well-supplied care economy.