The abilityNEWS Daily
The Big Story

Mark Butler after the Health Ministers meeting (photo courtesy The Australian)
Seismic change for the NDIS as states agree to provide supports
After a critical meeting on Friday, state Health Ministers have agreed to take over responsibility for providing psycho-social supports for most children under nine, restricting the NDIS to those with severe, lifelong illness. This agreement sets the stage for significant change in the way services will be delivered.
Although details of the arrangements are yet to be announced by the Commonwealth, the new settings represent the most dramatic change to the NDIS since its formation and promise to significantly reduce the scheme’s exponential cost growth.
Currently, one in five boys under seven is on or applying for the scheme. The new arrangements will see responsibility for psycho-social supports being handed over to the states, while eligibility for the NDIS will be lifted from children under seven to those under-nine.
Speaking after the agreement, Health Minister Mark Butler said the federal government will support the arrangement with new funding dedicated to expand mental health services for young Australians in state-run settings.
“Youth mental health is a real challenge out in the community,” Butler said. “Demand for mental health supports among young people just grows year on year on year.“
“Making sure we have not just the right models of care but enough of those services available” will also be critical, Butler said. “We made a very substantial commitment of about $700 million to expand mental health services for young Australians, including what Pat McGorry calls the missing middle.”
The Minister did guarantee that the NDIS would still be available for people who need really significant psychosocial support but may not currently qualify for the scheme.
Butler said this included those currently “bumping in and out of hospital emergency departments, but just not getting enough support. This is a focus of Commonwealth and state action going forward.”
Author’s Note
The revelation that fundamental and dramatic changes are coming to the NDIS came almost as a throwaway comment in an interview by Mark Butler last Friday. He confirmed the nation’s Health Ministers had been working to find ways of supporting children outside the NDIS.
To any parent, that’s a huge story and you can immediately see the (sensational, and correct) headline: ‘children under nine to be kicked off the NDIS’.
The journalist interviewing the minister didn’t realise she’d just been given a huge scoop. And that’s quite understandable, because mainstream reporters can’t be expected to be up on the detail of specialist areas, even if they like to pretend they are.
But that’s exactly why abilityNEWS exists - to follow the critical issues that are important for our community.
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Best, Nic Stuart ([email protected])
The Briefing

Bruce Bonyhady’s thinking is behind the changes (see below)
Bonyhady speech reveals thinking behind changes
by Bruce Bonyhady speech
Although this speech was given to the Professionals and Researchers in Early Childhood Intervention (PRECI) conference in May last year, it offers a good distillation of the reasoning behind the coming changes to the NDIS. Professor Bruce Bonyhady urged sector-wide reform in early childhood disability support. He emphasised that implementing the full suite of NDIS Review recommendations is vital to restoring equity and sustainability.
Australia left waiting for mental health reform
by Mental Health Australia
Mental Health Australia has slammed last week's meeting of health ministers and urging them to step up reform efforts following limited progress last week. The organisation warns that delays on priority reforms are leaving vulnerable Australians without critical mental health support.
Chemo and the Overlooked Issue of Hearing Loss
by Deafness Forum Australia
Certain chemotherapy drugs, such as cisplatin, can cause lasting damage to the inner ear, leading to hearing loss. New research has found this hearing damage may persist more than a decade after treatment in testicular cancer survivors.

The Wrap
NDIS cuts price caps for 2026
by ABC News
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) has announced upcoming reductions in price caps for various services starting in 2026. These changes aim to align NDIS pricing with standard market rates, potentially impacting service providers and participants.
The Diary
