IAC meeting bulletin, 24-26 March 2026
The Independent Advisory Council (IAC) met in Geelong and online from 24-26 March 2026. At the meeting, they discussed:
What they have heard in their communities
An update on Scheme reform
An update on IAC Advice and Work Plan.
Principal Member Leah van Poppel led the meeting.
What Members have heard in their communities
Members shared how participants in specialist disability accommodation (SDA) are feeling the impact of housing insecurity. Members reported owners are selling properties without listing them as SDA properties. They asked the Agency to better support participants in these situations, particularly if they cannot buy the house they live in.
Members feel that all housing for participants needs to be affordable and accessible – not only in SDA facilities. They asked the Agency to be an advocate in the public housing space.
Members recommended the Agency improve its communications to clarify the Scheme’s reforms and its future directions. The Agency advised there are decisions regarding reforms that need to be taken by Government. It agreed that it generally needs to improve the way it communicates with participants, their nominees, and providers. A new General Manager of Communications will soon join the Agency.
Members shared community concerns over the Agency’s proposed changes to planning processes. The community has shared general concern about how impairment notices will interact with assessment of support needs, of the implementation of I-CAN tool as part of a new support needs assessment, and the possible use of artificial intelligence. Participants are worried the support needs assessment will focus on the participant’s primary disabilities and not on any others, when many participants have multiple disabilities.
The Agency discussed the new support needs assessment process and staff training and accreditation processes, and ongoing testing with participants later in the meeting.
Members noted the community’s concerns about the Agency reducing their supports. Participants feel the appeals process is too slow.
Members shared community concerns about the Agency rejecting self-managed claims. Participants feel these should be presented as ‘pending’ rejections, allowing participants to provide further evidence to support the claim.
The Agency noted it should focus on how it explains why a claim might have been rejected. The Agency advised it will try to make this process clearer.
Scheme reform update
The Agency shared with Members how it is designing and testing new planning processes, and updated Members on its communications and engagement strategy.
The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing updated Members on how it is developing new NDIS Rules to support the implementation of new planning processes, and on the recent public consultation process.
IAC Advice update
Members discussed progress of IAC advice that is being drafted on ‘Justice’ and ‘Home and Living’ and outlined its scoping for ‘Planning and support in emergency and extreme weather events’ advice.
IAC Work Plan update
Members discussed the progress of the IAC 2025-26 Work Plan and considered topics to include in their 2026-27 Work Plan.
Community engagement
Representatives from the Villamanta Disability Rights Legal Service, Victorian Advocacy League for Individuals with Disability (VALID), and Rights Information and Advocacy Centre, Inc (RIAC) briefed Members on their work in Victoria.
More information on the IAC
The IAC will next meet on 14 May 2026 online. Find out more about IAC and Reference Group meetings and bulletins at the IAC website.
Information in Easy Read
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