The second meeting of the NDIS Reference Group was held on 28 April 2026.
Key issues discussed
1) NDIS reforms proposed in Minister Butler’s National Press Club address
The group noted that Minister Butler’s 4 main pillars of NDIS reforms related to clearer eligibility requirements,
fiscal sustainability, oversight and accountability, and quality services and supports.
One important reform was the change to NDIS eligibility. The introduction of standardised, evidence-based assessments
of a person’s functional capacity to determine access to the scheme from 1 January 2028.
Another important reform was mandatory provider registration. The categories of providers that must be registered will
expand, with the rollout expected to happen from July 2027 to the end of 2030. No further announcements about therapy
provider registration have been made to date.
2) Provider registration reforms
The group discussed recent provider registration reforms, including a proposed new model for a graduated level of
regulation according to risk.
SPA highlighted members’ feedback on provider registration in recent discussions with the Department of Health,
Disability and Ageing (the department) and the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commissioner (the
Commissioner).
SPA advised the department and the Commissioner that the current registration and audit processes are prohibitively
costly and have an unreasonably high administrative burden.
SPA also stressed the importance of CPSP requirements for speech pathologists. The discussions suggest the department
and Commissioner will look at a lower-cost, lower-burden registration model. They will also explore ways to recognise
existing credentials.
3) 2025–26 Annual Pricing Review (APR)
SPA noted that the 2025–26 APR had not been released at the time of the meeting. Once it is released, SPA will publish
a Speak Up podcast episode about the APR outcomes and Minister Butler’s proposed NDIS reforms.
4) The Therapy Pricing Review (TPR)
SPA has met with the NDIA about the TPR and shared its main policy positions. The NDIA said the TPR’s Terms of
Reference would likely be released in May or June 2026, and that it will be consulting on pricing differentiation
options. Because of this, the group discussed what guidance could be provided on pricing differentiation
options.
Differentiation based on the ‘complexity’ of a participant’s support needs
The group discussed how the ‘complexity’ of a participant’s support needs could be defined for differentiation. They
said that the complexity of a participant’s support needs involves more than their clinical diagnosis. It can also
involve their family supports, language needs, safety concerns, living situation, and how many diagnoses and services
are involved in their care. The group also said that complexity should be assessed throughout the course of a
participant’s therapy, because it can change over time.
Differentiation based on the ‘quality’ of services
The group also discussed how ‘quality’ could be defined for differentiation. They said that ‘quality’ can be
subjective. The group noted that clinicians and participants may have different ideas about what quality service
delivery looks like. While clinicians may recommend approaches they consider most appropriate, these may not always
fully align with participants’ preferences.
5) Federal Budget
The group noted that the Federal Budget would be handed down on 12 May 2026. SPA discussed its plan to stay updated on
the budget outcomes and report back to members.
6) Case studies
The group discussed collecting de-identified case studies, as outlined in SPA’s recent
e-News article. SPA will continue collecting these case studies.