24/04/2026
From Nicole Makin- Doherty, CEO
“As CEO of Empowered Liveability, I recognize that the recent changes proposed to the National Disability Insurance Scheme announced by NDIS Minister Mark Butler, have significant implications for communities across the country.
We understand this has brought fear, unease and uncertainty for our community.
Announcements like these, leave participants, families and providers on edge, our collective blood pressure rises.
In reality, improving access and support through the scheme is what everyone wants, these reforms have the potential to empower individuals and families, fostering greater independence and wellbeing.
While the government may be seeking to remove (relocate!) large numbers of participants from the scheme and move them to programs/other buckets of funding, we are still seeing a significant under funding for SDA participants.
Roughly 15,000 are living in SDA properties utilising funds. Many of these people have required assistance, advocacy and even AAT outcomes, to receive the funding they requested.
Roughly another 10,000 people have SDA in their plan, but are not using it. Whether they aren’t ready to move into SDA, or they are living in accessible properties not requiring SDA funds (or a care provider is subsidising this) is unclear.
The number of people we see applying for housing, coming out of hospital, who have critical and complex disabilities, needing SDA funding due to acquired or decrease in function, is huge.
However, the gaps in knowledge between other government bodies/systems such as hospitals/medical, not understanding the SDA journey/process, is significant.
While we are committed to supporting mandatory registration of SIL providers for shared living, as one of the most complex supports funded under the scheme, not everyone living in SDA requires SIL supports (or lives in shared arrangements)
Lots of people have drop in supports, informal supports, Individual Living Options, they utilise their Core funding to suit how they want to live.
We do not support people being forced to change the way they live, to suit a line item.
These announcements for transitional arrangements, should ensure that communities feel the positive effects of these important changes.
I don’t believe these announcements this week have achieved that at all.
It is important to remember that Specialist Disability Accommodation has always been under mandatory registration , so it stands to reason that care provision funded within SDA houses is registered and scrutinised, when required.
But this should not take away choice and control.
We see positive change, as a vital opportunity to strengthen community empowerment.
By enhancing support mechanisms, we can implement strategies that build local capacity, encourage participation, and foster resilience.
Empowered Liveability is dedicated to working closely with communities to co-design housing and care support solutions that ensure everyone benefits from any reforms, but disabled voices should be front and centre, promoting independence, inclusion, and long-term wellbeing.
Without that, we’ve lost our way.
The Australian public deserves to know, that removing people from the scheme, knee jerk reactions to public outcry, doesn’t ’save tax payers money’. The money just gets diverted to another bucket.
So while nothing has really changed for SDA providers and participants, we cannot become complacent.
As a community, we need to be united, and stand beside entire parts of the sector experiencing the most change.
Most importantly, no matter how many buckets the government puts in place, each cohort, whether physical, neurological, psychosocial disabilities, mental health, early intervention, that until the agency itself can run efficiently, every bucket will continue to leak.
As a Mum of a child on the scheme, I have immense gratitude for the early intervention funding we received, as capacity grows, the likelihood of eventual less reliance on supports also grows.
We cannot build that resilience, without scaffolding and capacity building in the first instance.
I can unequivocally hand on heart say, with those supports, my child’s trajectory has changed.
At age 11, after 6 years on the NDIS, he may be diverted to another bucket, and like other families, we will navigate this.
But not everyone has the support, or capacity, to navigate these changes.
Like most people, I want to see a long term, sustainable scheme for all people with a disability, no matter what age, or diagnosis.
Let’s support all people with disability to Live On Their Own Terms!
Nicole Doherty
Photo: Nicole and her son, representing Empowered Liveability at the recent Friend in Me inclusion family day
