NDIS review announced

We encourage our members to stay up to date, sign up to get the latest news and updates on the NDIS Review.

nvest in and empower people with disability by supporting them to achieve their goals and participate in the community and economy.

CHANGES TO COVID-19

Queensland Health COVID-19 Resources

Queensland Health has developed resources describing recent COVID-19 changes for people with disability and disability service providers. Please find attached newsletter copy and a social media tile for you to consider incorporating into communication with your networks.

These resources relate to:

• Vaccination of people from 6 months to 5 years
• Recent changes to vaccination requirements for disability workers
• Shortened isolation period for people infected with COVID-19 who are not working in vulnerable facilities

Last week National Cabinet signalled that mandatory isolation periods would end from October 14 – again except for vulnerable facilities. Queensland Health will provide advice soon on how this will work in Queensland.

Video Managing the risk of COVID-19 to employees and clients

In this video, Dr Lynne McKinlay, Deputy Chief Health Officer, Queensland, talks about the obligations of disability service providers and businesses to manage the risk of COVID-19 to employees and clients. This video has English captions and a transcript.

Video COVID-19 update from Dr Lynne McKinlay, Deputy Chief Health Officer

In this video, Dr Lynne McKinlay, Deputy Chief Health Officer, Queensland, talks about protecting yourself against COVID-19, getting vaccinated, treatment options for COVID-19, and how employers can manage risks of COVID-19 to clients and employees. This video has English captions and a transcript.

Information, Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC) - Have your say 

ILC Survey

Members received a survey that is designed to hear from Queenslanders with a disability on ILC. It is open to people with a disability and/or their families and carers. In recognition of your time to complete this survey, QDN can provide you with a $25 gift voucher. To be able to receive this, you will need to provide QDN with some personal information including your name and address so we can post the voucher to you.

20th Year Celebration

Digital Inclusion Pilot Project Conclusion

Online referrals updates

We would like to advise that the Digital Inclusion Project will no longer be accepting new intakes for all phases of the project from this Friday the 21^st of October at 5pm.

This includes access to donated devices through GIVIT, information and access to affordable data options, and digital support and ability workshops.

All eligible intakes for digital support through the project that have been received prior to the above date and time will be processed accordingly and the Digital Inclusion team will continue to navigate device allocation and initial support.

Date Claimer for Power of Peers

There will be a Power of Peers Gathering happening on 23 November in Brisbane – so keep that date free!

Want to start to your own business in the disability sector?

Presented by ACU Co-Lab, the Disability Incubator Series is an eight-week, in-depth learning program designed to educate future change makers about the practical components of establishing or growing a business within the disability sector.

Natural Disaster Advocacy Program

Queensland Advocacy for Inclusion are providing a specialist program that provide legal help to Queenslanders with disability in natural disasters.

They can help if you were impacted by the 2022 floods, or if you think you would be at risk of harm in other natural disasters.

Community Representatives

The Metro North Hospital and Health Service Board is inviting up to 8 consumers and community representatives to join the Board Community Advisory Committee.  

The Committee is responsible for advising the Board on strategies to improve consumer empowerment, healthcare experiences and outcomes. The Committee provides a bridge between the Board and the diverse communities who access or need access to the Metro North Hospital and Health Service.

To find out more and to submit an expression of interest, click on the link below this video. Applications close at midnight 23 October 2022.

Bus Networks for Brisbane

As you know, Brisbane Metro will bring significant enhancements to the South East Queensland public transport network.

Brisbane Metro is focused on removing infrastructure bottlenecks in the inner-city network and will deliver two new high-capacity core busway routes using new battery electric bi-articulated vehicles.

Over the past few years, Council, in partnership with Translink, has been undertaking a detailed review of the bus network, including specific bus route changes, to inform Brisbane’s New Bus Network.

It is important that you have your voice heard.

National Online Leadership Summit

Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA) has a National Online Leadership Summit coming up in the second week of November. Part of this includes launching our mentoring program for a second time using the platform Brancher. WWDA is looking for women and girls with disabilities to become mentors for other women and girls with disabilities as we strongly believe in the leadership capacity of our community and what this capacity exchange can do for other people in terms of boosting confidence, knowledge, and skills.

Policy Update 5th September – 16th September 2022 

Natural Disaster Advocacy Program 

Queensland Advocacy for Inclusion (QAI) has launched a new specialist program that provides legal help to Queenslanders with disability in natural disasters. It can provide assistance if you were impacted by the 2022 floods, or if you think you would be at risk of harm in other natural disasters. They can also work with you and your landlord to develop an inclusive emergency response plan to make sure no one is left behind in any future emergencies. For more information, please contact QAI on 1300 130 582 or email qai@qai.org.au. 

Disability Royal Comission impact of Omicron

The DRC have published an Overview of responses to the Omicron wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to an Issues paper released in March 2022 to better understand how people with disability were impacted during the Omicron wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

They were told:

• governments did not consider the needs of people with disability when mandating restrictions, setting up vaccination hubs or updating information about the pandemic
• people with disability had trouble accessing personal protective equipment and rapid antigen tests
• disability services were disrupted or suspended, making it hard to access disability support workers, which meant some people had to rely on family members for support
• people with disability could not access, or chose to postpone, health care services and routine health checks due to fewer disability support staff. These issues were made worse for people with disability living in remote or regional areas.

Hearing Summary

The Royal Commission is focusing currently on violence against and abuse of people with disability in public places. It will hear evidence from people with disability who have experienced countless forms of violence and abuse in public places, often at the hands of strangers. The hearing outlined the cumulative negative impact these forms of violence and abuse has on the wellbeing and social inclusion of people with disability, and it was acknowledged that the most significant barriers to inclusion for people with disability are not physical, but attitudinal.

Progress report

The DRC has released its sixth progress report highlighting a range of activities over the last six months.

NDIS UPDATE - New resource guides

The NDIA have released two new guides to support participants, families and carers. These include a new guide for understanding early intervention supports for children who are deaf or hard of hearing.  The guide is designed to help families and carers understand the supports that may be available to children who are deaf or hard of hearing.  A second guide is for adults on the autism spectrum, with an intellectual and/or psychosocial disability. It provides information to help participants think about their social and participation goals, and who they can speak to for support working towards these goals.

Faster, easier access to minor home modifications

Measures have been announced to simplify the process for participants seeking minor, non-structural modifications to their home. Eligible NDIS participants will no longer need to go through lengthy processes for minor, non-structural modifications that cost under $20,000. When the NDIA agrees on the changes required, funding will be available for participants to find a suitable provider to complete the modifications within the budget.

Faster hospital discharge for NDIS participants

The NDIA has begun work on a new plan to reduce the time taken for participants to be discharged from hospital.  It is hoped that the plan will make a simpler process and faster decision-making with better outcomes for participants and families as a result.

Queensland tenancy laws have changed from 1 October 2022

Queensland tenancy laws have changed from 1 October 2022, providing changes to your rental rights and responsibilities around ending a tenancy, renting with pets, repair orders and other amendments.

The Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA) has a wide range of resources available on our website and many of the RTA forms have been updated as well to reflect the tenancy law changes. A brief summary of the changes has been included below for your information.

Ending a tenancy

As of 1 October 2022, there are a wider range of reasons for tenants, property managers and owners to end a tenancy. The option for property managers and owners to end a periodic tenancy ‘without grounds’, meaning without providing a specific reason, is no longer available. However, all other previous reasons to end a fixed term or periodic tenancy remain in place.

New reasons from the expanded list of approved reasons to end a tenancy for property managers and owners include:

• a fixed term tenancy is coming to an end
• the property is being prepared for sale or is being sold with vacant possession
• the owner or their relative is moving in
• change of use of the property
• the owner is doing significant repairs or renovation, or
• the property is subject to demolition or redevelopment.

Additional reasons have also been added to allow tenants to end a tenancy, including:

• if the property is not in good repair
• if the owner has failed to comply with a repair order
• if a co-tenant passes away, or

for residents in student accommodation, if you are no longer a student and need to leave

Renting with pets

A new framework has been introduced to support negotiations around renting with a pet in all tenancies – it does not apply during the rental application process.

Tenants are required to formalise their request to keep a pet in the rental property by completing and submitting a Request for approval to keep a pet at rental property (Form 21) to their property owner/manager.

The property owner/manager can provide approval subject to reasonable conditions as agreed with the tenant, or refuse the request providing a reason that is outlined in the legislation. They must also respond to the request within 14 days after receiving the request, otherwise the request will be considered approved.

For examples of reasonable conditions for pet approval and the full list of reasons under the law for refusing a pet request, please refer to our Renting with pets fact sheet.

Repair orders and other amendments

Tenants and property owners/managers should talk to each other to try and self-resolve any issues that arise, and the breach process still remains to help formalise a repair request. From 1 October 2022, tenants can apply for a repair order from the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) if routine or emergency repairs have not been addressed in a reasonable timeframe.

Any repair order issued will be attached to the property and not to the tenancy. A property owner/manager will be responsible for complying with the repair order and they must disclose any outstanding repair orders to new tenants. Further details are available from our Repair orders fact sheet.

Other amendments around repairs include:

• a requirement to provide the name and contact details for nominated repairers in the tenancy agreement
• an extension of the timeframe for a tenant to return their Entry Condition Report at the start of their tenancy to 7 days
• increase in the value of emergency repairs a tenant can arrange for up to the equivalent of four weeks rent
• an ability for the property manager to make deductions from rent payments for the cost of emergency repairs (equivalent to four weeks rent maximum).

More information and resources 

I encourage you to take some time to look through our range of resources about the rental law changes which include:

• Four short animation videos providing an overview of the changes and details on each topic of change
• New tenancy law changes summary webinar
• Part 1 Ending tenancies – Oct 2022 rental law changes webinar series
• Part 2 Renting with pets – Oct 2022 rental law changes webinar series
• Part 3 Repair orders – Oct 2022 rental law changes webinar series
• Renting with pets – webinar with the Office of the Commissioner for Body Corporate and Community Management (BCCM)
• Part 1 Rental law changes overview – October 2022 podcast series
• Part 2 Ending a tenancy – October 2022 podcast series
• Frequently asked questions: which laws apply, how and when?
• Tenants quick guide: what do the 1 October 2022 rental law changes mean for me?
• Property managers/owners quick guide: what do the 1 October 2022 rental law changes mean for me?

In the following weeks, the remaining podcasts in our October 2022 series and another webinar will be released to provide answers to common questions we have received from our customers about the rental law changes. Stay tuned and subscribe to RTA News to get the latest updates and news about renting in Queensland and RTA events direct to your inbox every month.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about the tenancy law changes. I hope you have gained a better understanding of these changes and how they may impact you going forward.