Mark Butler, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), recently spoke of an exciting new NDIS phase. Yet that announcement preceded his first major speech in the new post. He announced a new, much tighter growth target for the scheme, targeting 5 to 6 percent growth. Alongside those measures, he created a new Thriving Kids program that ensures early intervention for children with mild to moderate developmental delays and autism. The initiative seeks to provide this more basic support beyond the NDIS system. That’ll go a long way toward offsetting the fiscal burden of their expanding $46 billion scheme.
Butler emphasized the importance of this new program. That’s the central part of a larger $10 billion funding deal between the feds and Indy, scheduled to play out over the next five years. Butler envisions the funding being divided equally between the projects, with Butler on behalf of the Commonwealth committing $2 billion in funding over the course of four years. He voiced optimism that state and territory leaders would reciprocate this funding commitment, even though they are showing early reluctance to do so.
Of the total $2 billion that I pledged yesterday on the Commonwealth’s behalf over four years. The agreement by National Cabinet was that states would co-fund that, Butler stated. He added, “Obviously not each of the states would do that, but collectively the states would put in $2 billion to that as well.”
Ambitious Goals for NDIS Reform
The Thriving Kids program continues to provide direct assistance to vulnerable children. Most importantly, it takes the focus away from the 500,000 Australians who depend on the vast majority of NDIS supports. By delivering foundational supports outside of the scheme, Butler hopes to restore the NDIS to its original intent of aiding Australians with profound and lifelong disabilities.
State leaders understand the need for a new roadmap for supportive development. Since Butler’s announcement, they’ve stopped short of making clear financial pledges. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns pointed to the lack of harmonization across state schemes. He echoed the call for a multi-agency coordinated approach if we are to be sustainable.
They looked at the picture, then said, whoa there a minute folks, having all these different schemes in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria is not equitable. Yet this approach is ad hoc, uneven, and probably unsustainable. Minns remarked.
Concerns Over Communication and Implementation
Despite the optimism surrounding the Thriving Kids program, reactions from state leaders indicate a degree of frustration regarding communication. Jacinta Allen, a central player in the debate, expressed her anger. She told me that she was disappointed that she didn’t hear about the program until it was officially announced. In the same vein, Hannah Beazley and Amanda Camm voiced Allen’s concerns by explaining that they weren’t consulted until after the launch.
“Today was the first time we’d heard about the minister’s Thriving Kids program,” Camm noted. She further added, “We look forward to continuing our work supporting the federal government given the NDIS is their responsibility.” This response indicates a willingness to work together but signals an expectation that the Administration do better in future discussions of preemption.
Looking Ahead
The rollout of these foundational supports has been delayed in definition and implementation. Butler reiterated to families that through all of this, his government is determined to ensure that children who need help get all the help they need.
“I want to reassure them that we’re not going to leave them high and dry,” Butler stated. He went on to reiterate that it is essential to develop a new, well-constructed scheme that builds confidence from families who depend on NDIS support. “We’re going to make sure that there is a well-designed scheme that gives them confidence that we’re going to do everything we can to support their kids to thrive.
