Comment from Hayley, Melba CEO
April 23, 2026
Almost two years ago, I wrote that it was ludicrous we needed more regulation to pour a beer than to deliver some of the most intimate supports to a person with a disability.
Yesterday, at the National Press Club, Minister Mark Butler acknowledged that same inconsistency not as rhetoric, but as a design issue the system now needs to address. As the Minister said: “you need more ID to get into a licensed club than to be an NDIS provider and that will change.”
That acknowledgement matters. It signals that Government recognises the need for stronger, proportionate safeguards where high‑risk, personal supports are delivered, while keeping the NDIS sustainable and trusted. Getting this right isn’t about cracking down on the sector, nor about compliance for its own sake.
It’s about restoring confidence in the scheme, in providers, and most importantly, in the safety and dignity of people who rely on supports every day. At the same time, reform must protect what sits at the heart of the NDIS: choice and control. People must always have agency over who comes into their home, who supports them, and how that support is delivered.
The direction outlined this week suggests we are moving toward clearer, fairer settings:
· that high‑risk, personal supports particularly for people with complex needs require appropriate oversight
· that quality should never be a competitive disadvantage
· and that human rights, choice and safety must never be compromised
Registration that is done well (risk‑based, proportionate and co‑designed) can be a safeguard, not a barrier. One that protects people, lifts quality, and helps rebuild the NDIS’s social licence.
There is still work to do. Reform must strengthen quality, safety and rights not just deliver budget discipline. And it must be shaped with people with disability, families, providers, and governments working together.
I am optimistic that we are on the right track. As a sector leader, I am excited and committed to working constructively with people and government to get this right.
Hayley Dean, Melba CEO
