Bill Shorten Announces Mandatory Registration for All NDIS Providers to Enhance Quality and Accountability
In a pivotal move aimed at improving the quality and accountability of disability services across Australia, NDIS Minister Bill Shorten has announced that all NDIS providers will now be required to become officially registered. This mandate seeks to address the lack of oversight for the approximately 150,000 currently unregistered providers, moving towards a more regulated and transparent system.
This decision follows extensive deliberation, including a recommendation from a taskforce established in February to assess the controversial proposal from last year’s NDIS review. The review suggested mandatory registration for all service providers under the scheme. Although the taskforce had initially recommended a tiered, risk-based registration model in August, Shorten has opted for a more comprehensive approach, noting that the government carefully considered the taskforce’s recommendations.
In response to the announcement, an HCE spokesperson expressed strong support for the policy, stating:
“For too long, people with disabilities and their families have been navigating a system where providers were not consistently held to the same high standards. This mandate will ensure that all providers adhere to essential quality and safety requirements.”
Minister Shorten confirmed that the transition to mandatory registration will be phased in gradually. Rather than implementing a blanket registration for all providers simultaneously, the initial focus will be on high-impact areas such as online platforms that connect individuals with NDIS providers and those who help manage participants’ plans. Providers offering supported independent living (SIL) services, which assist individuals with complex disabilities to live independently, will also be included in the early stages of the registration rollout.
Shorten emphasized that this change is critical for ensuring participant safety and elevating the standard of care across the NDIS.
“Every provider must be held accountable,” he stated. “This registration process will help us achieve that goal, ensuring participants receive the support they need and deserve.”
As reported by The Australian, there is further consideration of extending mandatory registration to the nearly 200,000 NDIS participants who self-manage their plans, following continued consultation with sector stakeholders.
Minister Shorten reaffirmed his commitment to reforms that will strengthen risk-based regulation and enhance the quality and safety of NDIS services.
“Through the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, I am advancing the registration of platform providers, support coordinators, and providers of supported independent living services,” Shorten told the newspaper.
“I remain dedicated to progressing reforms that increase the accountability and quality of NDIS supports.”
Currently, only about 16,000 of the total NDIS providers are officially registered, limiting the oversight capabilities of the NDIS Commission. This new mandate will extend essential regulatory scrutiny to the remaining 154,000 providers who have not been subject to mandatory reporting obligations.
