Disability reforms stall three years after $600m royal commission
Three years on, an independent review found zero of the royal commission's 222 disability recommendations fully implemented.
The Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability finished in 2023. It took more than four years and cost almost $600 million, making it Australia's longest and most expensive royal commission.
The Royal Commission delivered 222 recommendations in 12 volumes. An independent progress report released this week by more than 20 disability advocacy groups examined ten key recommendations.
None were fully implemented. Four show no real action.
One, better coordination of support under the National Disability Insurance Scheme, is actually going backwards. The Commonwealth government accepted 13 recommendations in full and 117 "in principle", meaning it agrees with the goal but may take a different approach.
Major reforms like a disability rights act and an independent National Disability Commission remain "under further consideration" three years later. An independent analysis found only 3 percent of recommendations were genuinely implemented.
- 222
- Total recommendations
- almost 600 million dollars
- Royal Commission cost
- more than 20
- Advocacy groups coordinating review
- 3 percent
- Recommendations genuinely implemented
Why it mattersAfter thousands of people with disability shared experiences of harm, government's slow response undermines trust and delays critical protections and support.
AustraliaAffects every Australian with disability relying on NDIS support and formal protections that the commission recommended but government has not delivered.
Corroborated bycrikey.com.au
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