Responsibility: Australian Government
Response: Accept in principle
Status: In progress
What has been achieved to date
On 10 February 2025, the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) contracted the National Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisation (NACCHO) for 18 months.
NACCHO will be working with their affiliates in each of the states and territories to co-design service delivery models, workforce structures and policies that support the delivery of culturally safe services. This may include models that require block funding arrangements for the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Sector.
The purpose of the work is to improve participation and utilisation rates of the Scheme amongst First Nations people with a disability, by providing services that are culturally safe and accessible.
The NDIA and the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing are working in partnership with remote and First Nations communities in Maningrida, Northern Territory and in Katanning and surrounding areas, Western Australia to progress Alternative Commissioning pilot sites. This includes working with participants and families, the Northern Territory and Western Australian governments, other government departments, disability providers and other key stakeholders to develop, implement, evaluate and report on the process and outcomes of Alternative Commissioning pilots.
The Australian National University has been contracted to undertake an independent evaluation of the Alternative Commissioning pilot. The evaluation report will inform best practice to support capacity building of community-controlled organisations to provide or increase place-based service delivery. Alternative Commissioning community and stakeholder consultation conducted during the pilots is identifying potential commissioning approaches the government could establish to increase or enable delivery of disability services that are culturally safe and meet community needs.
What the Disability Royal Commission said in the final report
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) should provide block funding for First Nations Community Controlled Organisations to flexibly deliver supports and services to First Nations people with disability. This could include funding for:
- respite or accommodation in connection with their plan or disability services
- cultural supports to maintain or improve health and wellbeing
- essential supports such as food, bedding and clothing
- supports that enable access to therapy, such as transport and fuel
- translation or other services to build understanding around disability and the National Disability Insurance Scheme
- other matters as agreed by the NDIA and First Nations Community Controlled Organisations.
Australian Government Response July 2024
The Australian Government is partnering with communities to explore and trial different ways to design and deliver NDIS supports for participants in remote and First Nations communities. This includes through Alternative Commissioning and Integrated Care and Commissioning.
Alternative Commissioning involves partnering with communities to pilot alternative approaches to improve access to NDIS supports in remote and First Nations communities. It will create opportunities for more culturally appropriate and sustainable services to strengthen the First Nations disability sector and build a sustainable supply of NDIS supports in remote areas. It offers flexibility and can include a range of design and delivery approaches to respond to community need, including place-based and community-driven solutions. The flexibility enhances government collaboration with the community-controlled sector, ensuring solutions are designed by the community to meet community needs. In the 2023-24 Budget, the Australian Government allocated $7.6 million to pilot Alternative Commissioning, with the first pilot currently underway in the Maningrida region of the Northern Territory.
Integrated Care and Commissioning brings together agencies and resources across health, aged care, disability, and veterans’ care sectors to understand and address local care and support service availability issues. Through engagement with service providers and communities, it is helping to identify and leverage enablers for improving service availability through collaborative, place-based and innovative approaches. It will also help to inform longer-term strategies for a more equitable care and support economy. In the 2023-24 Budget, the Australian Government committed $27 million over four years to trial Integrated Care and Commissioning in up to 10 locations.
On 30 January 2024, the Government announced a $10.2 million commitment to repair the market for better ways to access and pay for supports. As part of this commitment, $2.5 million was provided for the design and consultation of a new NDIS pricing and payments framework.
More recommendations
View progress on other recommendations made by the Royal Commission.