QDN Policy E-News Friday 22 May 2026

Have Your Say

NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 

The Australian Government has announced a consultation for the NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026. The consultation will run until Friday 29 May with a report due to be released on Tuesday 16 June.  

To access a summary of the Bill on the QDN website, follow the link below: 
https://qdn.org.au/securing-the-ndis-future-generations-bill/ 

QDN invites anyone with an interest in the Bill to add their voice at this link: 
https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Community_Affairs/NDISFutureGenBill  

Take Part in New Way of Planning Testing  

The NDIS is looking for people to take part in different testing of the initiatives announced by the Federal Government to test different planning and assessment tools.  

Currently there are two opportunities: 

1. Testing Supports Needs Assessments – Expressions of Interest close 3 June 2026
2. New Framework Planning pool – Expressions of Interest close 30 June 2026. 

If you are interested in becoming involved, please follow the link below: https://engage.ndis.gov.au/projects/engagement-opportunities-for-the-new-way-of-planning  

Disability Parking Permit Scheme  

The Queensland State Government is reviewing the Disability Parking Permit Scheme. The review will focus on: 

1. Overall purpose of the Scheme
2. Eligibility Criteria
3. Permit Duration
4. Organisation Permit 
5. Permit Enforcement  

Have your say by completing an online survey by following the link below: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=nUZIdKWL1ESkPI1_9vtVDTRAF3-6uEpDtUeFhYS7wglUMVJBMVU5MkQ3Q0o3SkdXVVJHVzg4Vkg5TC4u 

Or, provide a written response using the email below: 
DPPS_Policy@tmr.qld.gov.au  

Gold Coast City Council Disability Access Survey 

Gold Coast City Council currently has a disability access survey available. The survey is focused on feedback on access to our sport and aquatic centres, community centres and outdoor spaces for people with disability.  

The Council will look to use the feedback they receive to inform the following: 

• Planning
• Decision-making
• Improvements to Gold Coast City Council places and spaces 

If you are based on the Gold Coast and would like to participate in the survey, please visit the link below: 
https://gchaveyoursay.com.au/da  

The survey is scheduled to close on 2 June 2026. 

QDN News/ Events 

Online QDN Policy Position Statement Forum – Employment 

QDN is working this year to update our policy positions. The first area that we are going to look at is Employment. There will be an online forum announced for early June and will be followed up by additional online events across other portfolio areas.   

The policy position statements will provide a short document that members can use in their engagement with key stakeholders to inform, connect, lead and influence change and will inform QDN’s broader systemic advocacy. The Employment Position Statement will appear on QDN’s website and will be a public document.  

Registration for the forums will open next week.

National Volunteering Week  

National Volunteering Week is taking place form 18 May to 24 May. This year’s theme is ‘Your Year to Volunteer’.  

QDN would like to say a huge thank you to all our volunteers this National Volunteer Week.

Learn more about national Volunteering Week here: https://www.dss.gov.au/news/national-volunteer-week-2026 

Policy Updates

2026-27 Federal Budget Summary  

The 2026-27 federal budget was handed down on Tuesday, 12 May 2026. Some of the key outcomes can be seen below.  

NDIS 

• $1.7 billion over five years (and $110.9 million per year ongoing) to support people with disability and to improve the quality of supports delivered through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)

• $200 million will be provided over three years from to establish an Inclusive Communities Fund to support community organisations to deliver group based social and community participation activities and individual capacity building support for NDIS participants, with funding held in the Contingency Reserve pending further design and consultation with the disability community

Foundational Supports  

• $1.4 billion over five years to states and territories to deliver Thriving Kids services
• $3 billion over 5 years for Foundational Supports outside of the Thriving Kids

 Healthcare  

• $25 billion in funding for public hospitals
• $1.8 billion to secure Medicare Urgent Care Clinics as permanent features of Australia’s health syst, building on previous investments to expand the total network to 137 clinics across Australia
• $11.4 billion to incentivise bulk billing, with a goal of ensuring nine out of ten GP services are bulk billed by 2030

Employment  

• $312.1 million over five years (and $35.9 million per year ongoing) for improvements to the employment services system, including $285.6 million over five years to strengthen the employment services system and support future reform

Cost of Living  

• The tax rate on taxable income between $18,201 and $45,000 will drop from 16% to 15% on 1 July 2026, then to 14% on 1 July 2027
• All Australians will receive a tax cut of up to $268 from 1 July 2026, then up to $536 every year from 1 July 2027
• An instant reduction in taxable income of $1,000 for all Australians, without keeping receipts   

Aged Care  

• $1.7 billion to incentivise the construction of up to 5,000 aged care beds a year, which includes $606.5 million towards subsidies for aged care providers who build or expand residential accommodation, 20 additional Specialist Dementia Care units, and expanding the Hospital to Aged Care Dementia Support program from 11 to 20 locations nationally

Housing  

• Funding to support local housing infrastructure, aiming to assist with up to 65,000 new homes and provide reforms for an additional 75,000 homeowners
• $59.4 million to help Community Housing Providers provide social housing for over 4,000 young people aged 16–24 who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness
• $100 million from the Housing Australia Future Fund to improve the quality of housing for First Nations Australians in remote communities. 

To read QDN’s budget announcement, follow the link below: 
https://qdn.org.au/2026-federal-budget-special-update/ 

For more information about the 2026-27 budget, head to:
https://budget.gov.au/index.htm 

Transport 

National Road Safety Week 

National Road Safety Week (NRSW) is running from 17 to 24 May 2026. It is a week to reflect and commit to reducing road trauma across Queensland and Australia. 

This year is being hosted in Queensland and led by Peter Frazer OAM and the Safer Australian Roads and Highways (SARAH) Group.  

As part of the NRSW campaign, landmarks across Queensland will be lit yellow, and the message of ‘Drive so others survive’ will be shared.  

You can become involved by:   

• taking the road safety pledge to ‘Drive so others survive’
• wearing yellow
• participating in activities 

Follow the link below to learn more about National Road Safety Week: 
https://roadsafetyweek.com.au/ 

E-Mobility Legislation Report Released 

On Friday 8 May, the State Development, Infrastructure and Works Committee released its report into the Transport and Other Legislation (Managing E-Mobility Use and Protecting Our Communities) Amendment Bill 2026.  

The Report had 9 recommendations which included: 

• Changing the required standard for devices to match the standard that was in place when the e-mobility device was first made.
• Investigation of exemptions to the current standard if key safety criteria were met.
• Review exemption options for people who cannot obtain a licence because of disability, medical conditions or age.
• Appropriate speed limits across different shared pathways and high pedestrian areas.  

You would like to know more please visit:
https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/Work-of-Committees/Committees/Committee-Details?cid=272&id=8575  

Hope Island Station Familiarisation Tours 

Cross River rail Delivery Authority are hosting an event to help passengers become familiarised with the new Hope Island Station. Spaces are available on Friday the 12th, Monday the 15th or Monday the 22nd of June.  

To learn more, or register, follow the link below:
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/hope-island-station-familiarisation-tours-tickets-1988297973763?aff=oddtdtcreator 

Health  

New Reports Released – National Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability  

The National Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability has released 3 new reports. The reports are:  

• what’s Important to Us in Health Research? Establishing National Health Research Priorities Through a Co-Design Process
• first Nations & Intellectual Disability Inclusive Research Report: Lessons Learned
• the Centre’s Annual Report 2024-2025 

All the above reports are available by following the link below:
https://nceidh.org.au/publication-and-reports 

Disability Peer Support and Connections Program Grants 

The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing has announced a new Disability Support and Connections Program. The Program is currently accepting grant applications and aims to distribute funding to meet the unique needs of Australians with disability under the age of 65, their families, carers and kin.  

There are three streams for funding: 

1. Stream One – Individual Family Capacity Building
2. Stream Two – Community Capacity Building
3. Stream Three – Information, Advice and Referral  

If you are interested in finding out more please visit:
https://www.grants.gov.au/Go/Show?GoUuid=26632357-3abc-4bda-bf0b-39aa0e06a2ab&keyword=GO8264  

Applications close on 2 July 2026.  

National Research Symposium 

The National Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability (NCEID) held their National Research Symposium on 13 May 2026.  

This event was attended by researchers and policy makers from across Australia to connect and share ideas on improving the health of people with intellectual disability. The symposium covered a range of topics, including:  

• national research priorities
• research translation
• culturally safe and inclusive research practice 

To learn more about NCEID events, follow the link below to their website: 
https://nceidh.org.au/whats-on/national-research-symposium-2026 

Heat and Disability Symposium (Online)  

On Thursday 26 May, 1pm – 4:30pm, an online event will be held to explore the impact that heatwaves have on people with disability, especially due to the rising cost of energy for cooling systems,   

The event will be hosted by Sweltering Cities, Disability Advocate El Gibbs, and Dr Elizabeth Humphrys and Professor Beth Goldblatt from UTS, along with a panel of climate experts and disability advocates.  

Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from experts, as well as provide feedback and help design potential solutions.  

To learn about the event, or register, click here: 
https://events.humanitix.com/heat-and-disability-symposium 

Human Rights 

Australian Human Rights Assessment 2026 – Launched  

The Australian Human Rights Assessment 2026 has been launched. This will be the first of an ongoing annual assessment of Human Rights in Australia, what is going well and what can be done better.  

The assessment was published in a report card format and included the following areas: 

• Democratic freedoms
• Economic justice
• Racism and migration
• First Peoples’ justice
• Safety
• Equality and fairness 

For more information on the results for 2026. Please visit here: 
https://humanrights.gov.au/know-your-rights/understanding-human-rights/Australian-Human-Rights-Assessment-2026 

Public Trustee 

New Decision-making guide resource for adults with impaired capacity 

The Queensland Public Trustee has created an education guide to support decision-making for adults with impaired capacity.  

This guide provides: 

• An overview of the legal rights and frameworks for adult decision-making in Queensland. 

• Practical tips for carers and supporters to establish decision-making arrangements. 

• A proactive, inclusive approach to planning, with the Guardianship and Administration system as a last resort. 

Access the education guide by following the link below: 
https://www.pt.qld.gov.au/financial-administration/decision-making-support-for-adults 

NDIS 

Online Events 

Over the coming weeks, the NDIS is hosting events for providers and participants on a number of topics.  

Topics include:  

• Working as an NDIS provider
• Home and Living Supports 
• Assistive Technology  

To find the right webinar for you, please visit the link: 
https://www.ndis.gov.au/news/events 

Digital Engagement Panel  

The NDIA is currently working on improving their digital platforms including their website, My NDIS App, and my NDIS portal. To achieve this goal, they are creating a Digital Engagement Panel with members being NDIS participants, family and carers. Panel members will provide feedback by reviewing newsletters, website user testing, app and portal testing, and more.  

To apply to be on the panel, complete an expression of interest:  
https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=ZYt3zS11SkWHz7mZD-WJk-jAOFg6XhxKm37Twmil4xtUMVJLUDRQTUdLVTZETTc3QTI1QjcyVU1HViQlQCN0PWcu 

Expressions of interest close 22 June 2026. 

Supported Independent Living (SIL) Focus Group  

The NDIA is seeking feedback from NDIS participants who use SIL supports.  

They are creating a focus group to understand:  

• what it is like living in your home
• what matters most to you when receiving SIL supports
• what your experience was like if your SIL provider stopped providing supports
• what is working well and what could be improved  

The purpose of the focus group is to help SIL providers understand how they can improve their services.  

For more information, or to register your interest, head to:  
https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=ZYt3zS11SkWHz7mZD-WJk-jAOFg6XhxKm37Twmil4xtUQ0g0SkpUR1ZSNEJPNFk4UUlLTDhTNlNYSyQlQCN0PWcu 

Expressions of interest close 31 May 2026. 

Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) Update  

If you are an SDA provider. The NDIS has updated the Specialist Disability Accommodation pricing arrangements and price calculator. These updates will provide you with information on: 

• Price limits and other pricing arrangements that apply to SDA providers
• The expected annual income for an enrolled SDA home

If you would like to know more. Please visit the link here: 
https://www.ndis.gov.au/providers/home-and-living-providers/specialist-disability-accommodation-sda-tools/specialist-disability-accommodation-sda-pricing-arrangements 

Survey to Help Make NDIS Agency Managed Claim Changes easier to Understand 

The NDIA has recently changed the way that providers can claim payments from NDIS participants who are plan managed. Participants will now need to have an approved provider relationship recorded for payments to be processed. The NDIS is running a survey to understand how to communicate claim changes for agency managed participants. They would like to receive feedback from NDIS participants who have partially or fully agency managed NDIS plans and have experience in managing providing claims including approving or rejecting invoices.  

Complete the survey here: 
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=ZYt3zS11SkWHz7mZD-WJk-jAOFg6XhxKm37Twmil4xtUNk82MDFFQkYzQkhGMlFPUjhKU1BRWE9QUiQlQCN0PWcu 

The survey closes 1 June 2026.  

National Disability Research Partnership (NDRP) – Evidence to Action Event 

The NDRP is hosting an event for people with disability, organisations, government, service providers and the wider community to explore the impact of data for people with disability. This event will outline what is already known, what data is missing and how evidence can become more useful or inclusive. Real-world case studies will be used along with discussions from researchers and people with lived experience of disability. The event will also look into policy, national priorities and gaps in data or evidence that may have an impact on the inclusion and safety of people with disability.   

To learn more or register, click here:  
https://content.ndrp.org.au/evidence-to-action-register-now 

From our Friends

Policy updates regarding other peak bodies  

QIDAN Launches ‘DRC Still Matters’ Campaign 

Following a report by Queensland Independent Disability Advocacy Network (QIDAN) which found only 3 percent of Disability Royal Commission recommendations had been implemented since the release of the DRC report. QIDAN has launched the ‘DRC Still Matters’ campaign with the aim of increasing accountability and building a DRC Tracker on the recommendations to  

Ways to support the campaign include: 

• engage with the campaign
• read & share the QIDAN report
• sign up for campaign updates 

If you would like to know more please follow the link below: 
https://qidan.org.au/thedrcstillmatters/ 

QCOSS Community Sector Survey  

The Queensland Council of Social Service (QCOSS) is seeking feedback from staff and volunteers who work in the community services sector. Their survey asks participants about the type of work that they do, as well as the impact of community services have on local communities.  

The survey closes Monday, 1 June 2026. 

To complete the survey, follow the link below: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/52DPWXD#msdynmkt_trackingcontext=f4dbfd09-64b9-494f-a916-7b17fdf60300 

Stories

QDN’s policy team wants to hear about the issues impacting your lives. If you have a story to share, you can fill out the story form on our website.

QDN Membership – Spread the word

Do you know someone who should be a QDN member? Share this link them so they can have their voice heard and connect with peers and support networks across Queensland.

QDN Membership Application: https://qdn.org.au/membership/qdn-member-application/