NDIS in motion features news about recent announcements, reminders and updates across the NDIS sector.
This edition covers the Commission’s regulatory priorities for 2026-27 and includes updates about mandatory registration for Supported Independent Living (SIL) and NDIS digital platform providers and the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 (Cth).
Key regulatory priorities
In July 2026, the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission (the Commission) published its annual statement of regulatory priorities for 2026–2027.
The statement identifies three priorities to address significant risks to participants and the integrity of the NDIS.
Governance failures in high-risk settings
The Commission will target systemic governance and workforce capability failures that allow preventable risks and harm to persist in high-risk service settings. It will:
- Take decisive action against providers that seriously breach the NDIS Code of Conduct or fail to meet NDIS Practice Standards within defined periods.
- Take steps to ensure providers have effective staff training, policies and procedures and complaints and incident-handling mechanisms in place to identify, escalate and manage preventable harm.
- Focus on provider compliance with Commonwealth workplace laws.
Regulated restrictive practices by unregistered providers
In recognition of the complexity of this issue and the impact that the implementation of restrictive practices can have on a participant’s rights and freedoms, the Commission will also target NDIS providers who are implementing regulated restrictive practices without being registered to do so.
The Commission’s published priorities reaffirm its commitment to reducing and, over time, eliminating restrictive practices through evidence-based positive behaviour support.
This priority is a reminder to providers that they are required to protect the rights of people with disability and improve quality of life by using evidence-based positive behaviour support that reduces and stops regulated restrictive practices.
Exploitative, coercive and dishonest behaviour
The Commission will take strategic and decisive action against registered and unregistered providers, workers and key personnel who exploit participants or the NDIS. This includes unfair pricing, sharp or predatory conduct, inappropriate inducements, regulated promotional activities, false or misleading representations and serious breaches of the NDIS Code of Conduct. It will also focus on providers in rural, regional and remote areas to improve regulatory visibility and engagement.
Update: mandatory registration now in effect
Mandatory registration for SIL and NDIS digital platform providers commenced on 1 July 2026.
Transitional arrangements are in place, but providers need to act promptly and before 1 October 2026.
For more information about the provider registration reforms, see our April 2026 edition of NDIS in Motion, the Commission’s guidance on SIL and Platform Provider registration, or contact us if you would like to discuss how these new requirements affect you.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
The Bill was passed by Parliament and received Royal Assent on 20 August 2026. The Bill addresses two key vulnerabilities in the NDIS, being unforeseen growth that, if left unchecked, would put the sustainability of the NDIS at risk; and fraudulent activity that impacts the Scheme, participants and their families. It contains five schedules covering access and planning measures, fraud measures, governance arrangements, new framework planning and transitional rules.
For more information about the Bill, see the June 2026 edition of NDIS in Motion.
What’s next for providers
- Providers should check compliance with the NDIS Code of Conduct, staff training requirements, policies and procedures and complaints and incident-handling mechanisms to identify, escalate and manage preventable harm.
- Providers implementing regulated restrictive practices should review their operating environments to ensure they meet relevant compliance requirements and remedy any identified non-compliance.
- Providers should review employment arrangements and workplace practices for compliance with the Fair Work Act and relevant modern awards.
- SIL providers and NDIS digital platform providers should note the 1 October 2026 deadline and take necessary steps to satisfy relevant compliance requirements.