Arrival and Registration  

Welcome and Introductions 

Thousands of Australians with disability in regional and remote Western Australia are set to benefit from a major initiative designed to improve access to tailored NDIS services.

The Joint Work Program, a collaboration between the Federal and Western Australian Governments, is being rolled out across 5 regional areas: the South-West, Gascoyne, Great Southern, Wheatbelt, and Goldfields-Esperance.

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This presentation will explore how the program aims to strengthen NDIS delivery in regional and remote areas, with a focus on First Nations participants and other priority cohorts.

Building on insights from a $7.6 million pilot in Katanning, the program emphasises community-led approaches, working directly with people with disability, families, carers, and local disability organisations to identify service gaps and develop tailored solutions.

The session will be essential for policy makers, disability service providers, SDA developers, local government representatives, and community organisations committed to improving equitable access to the NDIS and inclusive housing solutions across Western Australia’s regional and remote communities.​

As the NDIS continues to refine and tighten definitions around Short-Term Respite (STR) and Medium-Term Accommodation (MTA), the boundaries between respite, transitional housing, and long-term Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) have become increasingly rigid.

In 2025–2026, STR is now firmly positioned as a respite-only support model, while MTA is being interpreted more strictly as a time-limited bridge to a defined housing outcome.

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This tightening regulatory environment has created a critical “missing middle” in the housing system -where providers are unable to flexibly use vacant SDA stock to meet emerging psychosocial and disability-related housing demand.

At the same time, participants continue to experience delays in accessing SDA, leaving both unmet demand and underutilised infrastructure in the system.

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This session explores the evolving policy landscape governing STR and MTA, and the practical implications for SDA providers in Western Australia.

It examines where flexibility has been reduced, where interpretation is tightening in practice, and what this means for vacancy management, transitional housing pathways, and system efficiency.

Delegates will gain a clearer understanding of the emerging constraints and the structural gap between short-term supports and long-term SDA, and why this gap is now one of the most pressing housing challenges in the disability sector.

Morning Tea 

The latest NDIS reform agenda signals a fundamental reset that will directly reshape the Specialist Disability Accommodation  landscape.

With participant numbers forecast to fall to around 600,000 and access tightening to those with significant functional impairment only, the future SDA tenant pool is expected to narrow and become more complex.

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At the same time, the introduction of standardised functional assessments and delayed Support Needs Assessments (to 2027) will change how eligibility for SDA-linked supports is determined, creating uncertainty in pipeline demand and approvals.

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For providers, the expansion of mandatory registration, tighter market controls, and increased scrutiny on high-cost supports like SIL signals a shift toward a more regulated, compliance-heavy operating environment.

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Combined with funding caps in adjacent supports (such as reduced community participation funding), these reforms may impact tenancy sustainability, participant choice, and the viability of some SDA models.

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This session will unpack what these reforms mean for SDA demand, design, investment risk, and long-term market stability -helping providers, developers, and investors reposition for a more controlled and selective NDIS.

The 2026 SDA Pricing Guide sits at the centre of Australia’s evolving Specialist Disability Accommodation landscape, shaping how housing is funded, delivered, and sustained under the NDIS.

As pricing arrangements continue to be refined through NDIA benchmarking and indexation processes, providers are facing increasing pressure to balance financial viability with participant outcomes, design compliance, and long-term tenancy sustainability.

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This session will unpack how SDA pricing is structured in 2026, including design categories, location-based adjustments, and occupancy assumptions that underpin benchmark rates.

It will also explore how recent NDIS-wide reforms and tighter budget controls are influencing SDA funding approvals, service bookings, and development feasibility across the sector.

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Participants will gain clarity on the difference between pricing arrangements, price limits, and actual funded outcomes in participant plans, as well as the practical implications for providers navigating construction costs, vacancies, and operational risk.

Designed for SDA providers, investors, support coordinators, and housing strategists, this session provides a grounded understanding of where SDA pricing is heading—and what it means for the future of specialist housing delivery in Australia.

Australia’s Specialist Disability Accommodation  sector is entering a critical transition period, with the national Design Standard review underway following extensive consultation led by KPMG.

NDISDA, as a recognised Peak Body, contributed to this process, ensuring sector perspectives informed the review.

While final changes are yet to be released, clear direction is emerging across the industry toward more consistent interpretation, stronger participant outcomes, and more functional, future-ready housing design.

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This session explores what stakeholders can expect during this period of uncertainty and how architects, assessors, developers, and providers can prepare now. 

It will examine the shift from minimum compliance toward performance-based, participant-centred design, with increasing emphasis on adaptability, assistive technology integration, spatial functionality, and long-term liveability across all SDA categories.

Bringing together architectural and assessment perspectives, the discussion will highlight current challenges in interpretation and certification, including variability in how standards are applied and the resulting impact on design certainty, approvals, and project delivery.

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It will also address a critical and often underweighted factor in SDA outcomes -the role of location, infrastructure, and community access in shaping participant suitability and long-term housing success.

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The session concludes with a panel discussion focused on practical strategies to navigate regulatory transition, reduce compliance risk, and future-proof SDA portfolios ahead of the next generation of design expectations in Australia.
 

Q  & A  

Lunch 

The landscape of Specialist Disability Accommodation  is increasingly shaped by complex legal and advocacy challenges that affect participants, providers, and investors alike.

As NDIS reforms roll out in 2026 - including changes to external appeal rights, administrative processes, and regulatory enforcement - understanding these challenges is critical to maintaining safe, compliant, and sustainable housing outcomes.

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This session will explore:

• Accessing and Appealing SDA Funding Decisions

• Planned changes to external review mechanisms (AAT/ART) may reduce participants’ ability to obtain legally enforceable reconsideration of their funding.

• Implications for SDA participants: limited recourse could delay access to appropriate housing and essential supports.

• Provider impact: potential uncertainty in funding continuity and operational planning.

• Administrative Appeals and Participant Burden

• Many Participants represent themselves in appeals while the NDIA engages external legal counsel, creating inequities.

• Limited advocacy resources mean participants may divert plan funding or time away from frontline supports, affecting quality of life.

• Emotional and practical stress on participants and families highlights the need for improved support pathways.

• NDIA Payment Holds and Administrative Delays

• Consequences for providers include cashflow pressures, risk to service continuity, and increased administrative burden.​

Securing a suitable home under the NDIS is only one part of the journey for participants with complex needs.

The long-term success of an SDA placement depends on the quality, coordination, and sustainability of wrap-around supports -a coordinated network of services that surrounds the participant, addressing their health, behavioural, daily living, and community needs.

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Wrap-around supports are essential for:

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• Preventing crisis and hospital readmissions: Participants with complex needs are vulnerable to health deterioration, behavioural escalation, or social isolation. When wrap-around supports are coordinated effectively, health issues can be monitored early, behavioural supports can prevent crises, and care teams can respond quickly to changes. This is especially critical during hospital-to-community transitions.

• Improving quality of life and independence: Beyond meeting basic care needs, wrap-around supports help participants build daily living skills, participate in work or community activities, maintain social relationships, and achieve personal goals. This approach moves beyond “supporting needs” to enabling a full, meaningful life in the community.​

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This presentation explores best practice approaches to designing and implementing wrap-around supports when identifying and transitioning into an SDA home.

It will examine how housing providers, support providers, allied health professionals, hospitals, and coordinators can collaborate to ensure the right support ecosystem is in place before and after a participant moves into SDA.​

Delays in Functional Capacity Assessments (FCAs) in Western Australia are more than just administrative hurdles -they create a domino effect across the disability sector. Slow or incomplete assessments impact Specialist Disability Accommodation approvals, which in turn delay Supported Independent Living (SIL) placements, wrap-around supports, and the ability of providers and investors to plan and deliver services efficiently.

This session will examine the causes of delays and gaps in evidence, the cascading consequences for participants, providers, and the investment landscape, and practical strategies to improve assessment timeliness, data quality, and sector-wide coordination.

Attendees will gain insights into how WA can better align assessment processes with participant outcomes and sustainable service delivery.

Australia’s disability housing system is facing a growing structural imbalance—not just between supply and demand, but between who housing is built for and who actually needs it.

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While investment in Specialist Disability Accommodation  has accelerated, vacancy rates continue to rise in many regions.

At the same time, demand for Supported Independent Living  is surging-driven by a much larger cohort of participants who require daily supports but do not meet the threshold for SDA funding.

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Data from the National Disability Insurance Agency shows that SIL participants significantly outnumber those eligible for SDA, highlighting the emergence of a “missing middle”—people who need appropriate, supported housing but are often left navigating an undersupplied and fragmented market.

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This session explores why this disconnect exists, including funding silos, planning delays, and the separation between housing and support delivery.

It will also examine the growing need for more flexible investment models, including adaptable housing, head-leasing, and partnerships with community housing providers that better align with SIL demand.

In 2026, delivering inclusive, accessible, and sustainable homes for people with disability in Western Australia relies on strong partnerships between government, SDA providers, community housing organisations, and support services.

This presentation highlights effective collaborative models that are shaping WA’s disability and social impact housing landscape. Delegates will gain insight into how cross-sector partnerships are designed, implemented, and evaluated to deliver meaningful social outcomes alongside housing supply.

Panel and Q & A from the audience 

Networking on the rooftop  and depart