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 Federal Government’s latest NDIS reform agenda, outlined by Minister Mark Butler, signals a decisive shift toward sustainability, tighter access, and stronger cost controls—fundamentally reshaping the Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) landscape.

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With participant growth now being actively moderated and funding for certain supports being reset closer to 2023 levels, future SDA demand is expected to become more targeted.

Access will increasingly prioritise participants with significant and enduring functional impairment, narrowing the prospective tenant pool while increasing complexity of need.

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At the same time, the delay of Support Needs Assessments to April 2027, alongside the rollout of standardised functional assessments, introduces a transitional period of uncertainty. Providers may experience slower approvals, shifting eligibility thresholds, and reduced visibility over pipeline demand.

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Further, the Government’s focus on curbing “runaway spend”—particularly across high-cost supports such as Supported Independent Living and community participation-signals tighter funding alignment across the ecosystem.

These changes are likely to have flow-on effects for SDA tenancy sustainability, participant affordability, and co-resident matching.

For providers, developers, and investors, this reform phase points to a more controlled, compliance-driven market.

Expanded regulatory oversight, strengthened registration requirements, and increased scrutiny on value-for-money will require sharper operational discipline and more robust evidence of outcomes.

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This session will unpack what these reforms mean for SDA demand, design strategy, investment risk, and long-term market stability -equipping stakeholders to reposition in a more selective, regulated, and performance-focused NDIS environment.

This session provides a focused analysis of the Caterson decision and its significant regulatory and commercial implications for the Specialist Disability Accommodation  market.

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Following this decision of the Federal Court of Australia, the SDA Price Guide can no longer be viewed as a flexible or purely advisory instrument. Instead, it has taken on a far more determinative role—effectively elevating its status within the legal and funding framework that governs SDA pricing and payments.

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This shift signals a move away from interpretive discretion toward a more enforceable pricing structure, with the Court affirming the weight that must be given to the Price Guide in decision-making. As a result, providers must now operate with heightened precision in how pricing is applied, justified, and documented.

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The session will unpack:

• The legal authority of the Federal Court and how the Caterson decision reshapes interpretation of the Price Guide

• Why the SDA Price Guide can no longer be treated as indicative or negotiable

• The implications for pricing certainty, participant contributions, and provider viability

• Emerging compliance expectations and the risk of retrospective scrutiny

• What this means for contract structuring, investor confidence, and market stability

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Attendees will gain clarity on how this development tightens the operating environment and what practical steps SDA providers, developers, and advisors must take to align with a more prescriptive and legally reinforced pricing regime.

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 

Legal Frameworks, Caterson Decision & Reform Direction by Niti Prakash

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For Specialist Disability Accommodation providers, investors, and sector stakeholders, the operating environment is undergoing significant change as Federal Government reforms reshape funding interpretation, review rights, and administrative decision-making across the NDIS.

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A key legal development influencing this shift is the Caterson decision, which has reinforced the authority and practical weight of the SDA Price Guide within funding and pricing determinations.

Rather than functioning as a flexible reference point, the Price Guide is increasingly being applied as a determinative benchmark, with direct implications for pricing integrity, revenue modelling, compliance exposure, and investment certainty across SDA portfolios.

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Against the backdrop of broader Federal NDIS reform—particularly changes to external review mechanisms, assessment frameworks, and administrative enforcement—this session examines how legal structure and operational reality are converging in ways that directly affect SDA provider viability and participant outcomes.

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Niti Prakash provides a legal and policy analysis of the evolving NDIS advocacy and review landscape, with a focus on implications for SDA providers and funding certainty.

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Key areas include:

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• The Caterson decision and its impact on the legal status and enforceability of the SDA Price Guide

• The Federal Court’s role in shaping how pricing frameworks are interpreted and applied in practice

• The transition to the Administrative Review Tribunal and implications for external review rights and procedural pathways

• Federal Government reform direction and the shift toward standardised assessment and more structured decision-making

• The practical implications for SDA funding determinations, compliance expectations, and evidentiary standards

• This session provides clarity on how legal interpretation is tightening around pricing and review frameworks, and what this means for provider decision-making and risk exposure.

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1.15pm - 1.45pm

SDA Provider Reality: Appeals, Funding Pressure & Operational Risk

David Moody |  Head of Strategic Relationships | Management Governance Australia Group

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 the practical implications of these reforms for SDA participants and providers, with a focus on how changes to decision-making and review processes are being experienced across the sector.

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Key Areas Covered

• 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. This has significant implications, including:

• Reduced avenues for review and appeal of SDA funding decisions

• Potential delays in accessing appropriate housing and essential supports

• Increased uncertainty for providers in relation to funding continuity and operational planning

Administrative Appeals and Participant Burden

Many participants currently represent themselves in appeals while the NDIA engages external legal counsel, creating structural inequities
Limited advocacy capacity can result in participants diverting time and plan resources away from frontline supports
The emotional and practical burden on participants and families highlights gaps in accessible support pathways

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NDIA Payment Holds and Administrative Delays

• Increasing administrative interventions, including payment holds, can create significant cashflow pressure for SDA providers

• These delays pose risks to service continuity, tenancy stability, and operational planning

• Providers face growing administrative burden within an increasingly complex compliance environment

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This session provides a grounded overview of the emerging pressures within SDA, highlighting where policy change intersects with real-world delivery, funding certainty, and participant outcomes.

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.​

Afternoon Break  

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