Arrival and Registration  

Welcome and Introductions 

The NSW Disability Inclusion Plan 2026–2029 marks a pivotal step in embedding inclusion and accessibility across government, local councils, and communities.

This 4-year strategic framework sets clear expectations for accessibility improvements, enhanced community access, and meaningful representation of people with disability in planning and decision-making processes.

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While not specific to Specialist Disability Accommodation, the Plan provides a robust policy foundation for inclusive design and planning practices, strengthening expectations for accessible housing and community infrastructure.

This session will explore how councils and agencies are aligning their Disability Inclusion Action Plans with state-wide objectives, the implications for urban development and housing projects, and the opportunities for stakeholders in the disability and housing sectors to leverage these reforms to promote equitable, accessible outcomes across Sydney and NSW.

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Attendees will gain insights into:

• The key components and goals of the NSW Disability Inclusion Plan 2026–2029.

• How state-wide accessibility requirements are influencing planning and housing developments.

• Opportunities to align SDA and accessible housing initiatives with broader inclusion strategies.

• Practical strategies for collaborating with government agencies to support inclusive communities.

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From mid-2026, the NDIS will implement a structured, rule-based planning framework affecting SDA supports within participant plans, including funding consistency, appeals, and reassessment pathways.
This session provides an overview of the planning framework and its practical impact.

Delegates will explore:

•    How plan structures and funding consistency affect SDA support allocations.
•    Changes in appeals and reassessment pathways influencing budget certainty and participant access.
•    Adjustments to provider engagement and operational practices to align with new planning timelines.
•    Opportunities to streamline service delivery while maintaining participant-centred outcomes.

Attendees will gain practical strategies to navigate the new planning framework and ensure SDA operations are aligned with mid-2026 reforms.

In 2026, Specialist Disability Accommodation  providers face a dynamic funding landscape shaped by the NDIA’s ongoing pricing reforms and CPI-indexed adjustments.

Understanding these changes is critical for aligning operational plans, optimising investment decisions, and maintaining participant-focused housing outcomes.

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This session provides a comprehensive overview of SDA pricing and funding trends, covering both immediate 2025–26 benchmarks and longer-term adjustments anticipated through 2026. Delegates will gain clarity on how pricing reforms affect provider revenue models, investment planning, and participant plan structures, particularly in high-cost or low-demand regions.

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Key areas include:

• ​​Benchmark Price Adjustments: Exploring the impact of revised pricing frameworks on provider revenue, SIL costs, and financial sustainability.

• CPI-Indexed Changes: Understanding the July 2026 CPI-indexed adjustments, and their implications for budget planning, cashflow management, and long-term project forecasting.

• Participant Funding Considerations: Navigating plan structures, cost allocations, and funding alignment to ensure participant-centred housing outcomes.

• Investment and Risk Strategies: Integrating pricing reforms into strategic planning, assessing financial risk, and optimising funding utilisation for both existing and new SDA dwellings.

• Future-Proofing SDA Projects: Planning for long-term compliance, participant choice, and sustainability in a changing regulatory and funding environment.

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Attendees will leave with a practical, actionable understanding of the SDA funding landscape in 2026, including strategies to adapt to CPI adjustments, optimise investment, and deliver sustainable, participant-focused housing solutions.

Morning tea 

In 2026, Specialist Disability Accommodation is navigating a period of significant policy, regulatory, and planning evolution.

The NDIA’s ongoing SDA Design Standard review and discussions on potential SDA Rules reform are creating opportunities to modernise the sector, ensure compliance, and enhance participant outcomes

At the same time, national and state-level trends - influenced by government policy, Royal Commission recommendations, and shifting community expectations - are driving a move toward smaller, flexible, community-integrated housing that promotes independence and social inclusion.

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This expert panel brings together regulatory advisors, SDA providers, investors, and participant representatives to explore the intersection of policy, design, rules, and planning trends, offering a comprehensive view of the future SDA landscape.

Key discussion points include:

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• Implications of the Design Standard review for new builds, refurbishments, budgets, and compliance planning.

• Potential SDA Rules reforms and alignment with updated design, funding, and operational frameworks.

• Strategies for providers to transition from traditional group homes to participant-centred, community-integrated housing.

• National and state policy trends shaping SDA and broader disability housing, including opportunities for innovation and scalable models.

• Practical approaches to future-proof SDA projects, ensuring flexibility, participant choice, and alignment with evolving regulatory requirements.

• Integrating SDA planning within community housing pipelines, leveraging partnerships and land-use planning for inclusive housing outcomes.

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Outcome: Delegates will gain a clear understanding of how national SDA policy, the Design Standard review, and Rules reform converge with broader community-based housing trends, providing actionable guidance for strategic planning, compliance, and investment in 2026 and beyond.

In 2026, Specialist Disability Accommodation  continues to grow as a critical component of the NDIS, but significant data challenges remain.

While the volume of SDA dwellings has expanded, gaps in data transparency, granularity, and usability are limiting the ability of providers, investors, planners, and policymakers to align housing supply with participant needs.

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This session will explore the biggest SDA data challenges today, including supply versus demand mismatches, vacancy reporting issues, limited localised information, and difficulties capturing participant preferences. It will highlight practical strategies for organisations to access, interpret, and use SDA data more effectively, enabling better planning, development decisions, and outcomes for participants.

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Key Topics include:

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1. Data Transparency and Accessibility

Current SDA reporting mechanisms provide a broad overview but lack detailed, real-time insights at the local level.

Limited granularity makes it difficult to match supply with participant needs, support services, and community preferences.

2. Supply vs Demand Mismatches

Uneven distribution of SDA dwellings across regions has resulted in high vacancy rates in some areas and undersupply in others.

Understanding where housing is needed most is critical for reducing inefficiencies and improving participant access.

3. Participant Preferences and Location Data

Lack of detailed data on participant choice, support networks, and preferred living arrangements leads to misaligned developments.

Incorporating qualitative insights alongside quantitative data can improve occupancy and participant satisfaction.

4. Improving Data Use for Planning and Investment

Combining NDIS data tools with organisational analytics allows providers to make informed, evidence-based decisions.

Effective data strategies support investment risk management, project planning, and compliance with NDIS objectives.

5. Future Directions for SDA Data

Opportunities include improved localised datasets, predictive modelling, and collaborative data sharing between NDIA, providers, and researchers.

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Leveraging these approaches can reduce vacancy risk, optimise housing placement, and ensure participant-centred outcomes.

Attendees will leave this session with a clear understanding of current SDA data challenges in 2026, practical strategies to improve data use within their organisations, and insights into how better data integration can lead to more effective, participant-focused housing outcomes.

Specialist Disability Accommodation properties differ from traditional residential real estate, with unique accessibility features, support requirements, and funding models that complicate conventional valuation. These challenges affect investor confidence, financing options, and sector growth, potentially slowing the development of high-quality housing for participants.

This session will explore:

• Why SDA properties resist standard valuation models.

• Impacts on financing, supply, and investor behaviour.

• Practical strategies to align valuations with long-term housing outcomes, including emerging frameworks, data sharing, and lender education.

Delegates will gain a clear understanding of SDA valuation risks, insights into market implications, and strategic considerations for providers, investors, and policy planning in 2026.

The Specialist Disability Accommodation  sector continues to grow, but provider viability remains a critical concern. The collapse or exit of a provider can disrupt participants’ housing and support, create operational pressure for other providers, and challenge investor confidence.

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This presentation provides a focused overview of the risks, impacts, and practical strategies for maintaining stability and protecting participants. Attendees will gain insights into:

• Participant Impact: Ensuring housing security and continuity of supports during provider transitions.

• Provider & Market Implications: Managing operational pressures, vacancies, and service quality.

• Investor Considerations: Mitigating financial risk and maintaining confidence in SDA investments.

• Funding & Policy Challenges: Navigating NDIS payment timing and compliance requirements.

• Strategies for Resilience: Strengthening governance, risk management, and cross-sector collaboration.

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By the end of this session, delegates will leave with practical strategies to safeguard participants, support providers, and enhance sector resilience in 2026

Lunch  

In 2026, Sydney’s Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) market faces a complex investment landscape.

High vacancy rates (up to 41–45% in some areas), oversupply in non-preferred locations, lengthy approval processes, high construction costs, and a growing shift from retail to institutional investment are redefining how providers, investors, and planners operate.

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This panel discussion will bring together sector experts, SDA providers, investors, and policy specialists to examine the current market challenges, share practical insights on mitigating risk, and explore strategies to align development with participant needs. The session will provide attendees with a deep understanding of the financial, operational, and strategic realities of investing in SDA in Sydney and NSW today.

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Panel Structure & Key Discussion Topics
1. Vacancy & Oversupply Challenges

Explore the causes of high vacancy rates in SDA properties and the impact on investor returns.

Discuss strategies for matching supply with participant demand and location preferences.

2. Regulatory & Approval Bottlenecks

Panellists share experiences with SDA enrolment, documentation requirements, and regulatory delays.

Identify opportunities for streamlining approval processes to reduce time-to-income for investors.

Participant Funding delays and changes 

3. Capital Requirements & Investment Risk

Discussion of high construction costs, financing challenges, and competitive pressures in Sydney’s SDA market.

Comparison of retail versus institutional investment approaches and associated risk profiles.

4. Aligning SDA Supply with Participant Choice

Strategies to ensure new builds meet participant needs, including location, support compatibility, and co-tenant considerations.

How to integrate participant feedback and demand data into planning decisions.

5. Operational & Strategic Success Factors

Panel insights on partnering with accredited providers to reduce vacancy risk.

Best practices for long-term operational planning and participant-centred housing delivery.

6. Market Outlook & Policy Implications

Emerging trends in SDA investment and potential policy interventions (e.g., NSW pre-sale finance fund, revolving investment funds).

Opportunities for collaboration between government, investors, and providers to improve occupancy and quality outcomes.

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Intended outcomes for Attendees

A clear understanding of the top SDA investment challenges in 2026 and their implications for providers and investors.

• Practical insights into risk management, participant-aligned planning, and strategic partnerships.

• Knowledge of the shift toward institutional investment and how to position developments for long-term sustainability.

• Actionable recommendations for navigating regulatory, financial, and operational barriers in Sydney’s SDA market.

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The Specialist Disability Accommodation landscape in 2026 is evolving under complex legal, regulatory, and advocacy pressures. Changes to external appeal rights, administrative processes, and NDIA oversight are creating new challenges — and opportunities — for participants, providers, and investors alike.

This session explores how these reforms affect access to funding, participant outcomes, and operational continuity

Key topics include:

• Appealing SDA Funding Decisions: Understanding the implications of changes to AAT/ART processes for participants and providers.

• Administrative Burdens: Addressing inequities in appeal representation, limited advocacy resources, and the impact on participants’ daily lives.

• Payment Delays: Managing operational and financial risks from NDIA system transitions, including SDA and SIL-related payments.

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Delegates will leave with practical strategies to navigate legal, operational, and advocacy challenges, maintain compliance, and safeguard participant housing and support outcomes.

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

n 2026, Sydney’s Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) and community housing landscape faces the dual challenge of legacy stock management and meeting the growing demand for accessible, high-quality homes. Many existing SDA and disability housing properties were built under earlier standards and now require strategic renewal to meet participant needs, contemporary accessibility guidelines, and operational efficiency expectations.

This session will explore how providers, investors, and government agencies can collaborate to optimise legacy SDA assets, expand community housing solutions, and align developments with participant preferences. Participants will gain insights into practical approaches for upgrading older stock, leveraging partnerships, and using data-driven strategies to reduce vacancies and enhance quality outcomes.

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Key Themes include:

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1. Reviewing and Upgrading Legacy SDA Stock

• Assessing older SDA and community housing for compliance, accessibility, and participant suitability.

• Planning redevelopment or refurbishment strategies that align with NDIS design standards.

2. Strategic Collaboration across Sectors

• Partnering between community housing providers, accredited SDA developers, local councils, and support agencies.

• Co-investment and shared service models to improve operational efficiency and participant outcomes.

3. Aligning Housing Supply with Participant needs

• Using demand data and participant feedback to inform location, design, and tenancy decisions.

• Ensuring legacy stock meets the evolving expectations of NDIS participants, including accessibility, supports integration, and community inclusion.

4. Best Practice in Asset Management

• Maintaining and modernising older properties while reducing vacancy risk.

• Leveraging government initiatives and grants to support capital upgrades or redevelopment.

5. Future-Focused Market Strengthening

• How optimising legacy stock can reduce market inefficiencies and support a more sustainable, participant-centered SDA market in Sydney.

• Positioning providers as trusted partners in long-term, outcomes-driven SDA and community housing initiatives.

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This session is ideal for SDA providers, community housing organisations, investors, planners, and policy makers seeking to understand how collaboration and strategic management of legacy assets can improve housing availability, quality, and participant satisfaction in Sydney.

Q & A and Panel on the above sessions 

Break 

In 2026, providers of Specialist Disability Accommodation  and Supported Independent Living in Sydney and NSW are navigating not only NDIS design standards and funding frameworks but also strengthened state‑wide fire safety reforms and building compliance obligations.

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Recent changes to NSW building fire safety regulation, including mandatory inspection and testing of essential fire safety measures under Australian Standard AS 1851‑2012, take effect from 13 February 2026 and significantly increase responsibilities for building owners and organisations providing accommodation services.

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This session will offer a comprehensive analysis of organisational liability and risk in the context of fire safety for SDA and SIL, including compliance obligations, risk management strategies, and legal accountability for providers and managers, especially for vulnerable occupants who may have reduced mobility or require support during emergencies.

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Key topics include:

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• Fire safety compliance and regulatory landscape in NSW (2026) — understanding AS 1851‑2012 obligations for inspection, testing, maintenance, and certification of fire safety systems across all relevant building classes.

• Provider and owner liability for fire safety compliance — roles and responsibilities for building owners, SDA/SIL organisations, and certifiers under NSW fire safety law, including annual fire safety statements and legal risk implications.

• Fire safety systems and risk mitigation — sprinklers, alarms, performance solutions and risk reduction strategies tailored to disability accommodation environments.

• Integrating safety risk management into SDA/SIL operations — documentation, training, regular maintenance, and auditing procedures to reduce organisational risk.

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This practical session will empower providers and risk managers to understand and address liability and safety risks associated with fire safety in SDA and SIL settings, helping organisations protect residents, staff, and their legal position.

In 2026, emergency preparedness for people with disability in Sydney and NSW is being reshaped by the increasing impacts of climate change, including bushfires, extreme weather, and flooding.

Traditional disaster planning has often overlooked the specific needs of people with disability, leaving a critical information gap.

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This session will explore person-centred emergency preparedness frameworks that empower people with disability to develop their own plans while collaborating with service providers, emergency services, and local governments.

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Delegates will learn how to co-create plans that address sheltering in place, evacuation, and recovery, tailored to individual support needs, living circumstances, and mobility or communication requirements.

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Key highlights include:

• The four-stage process of person-centred emergency planning: identifying strengths and supports, assessing preparedness, tailoring plans, and communicating with support networks.

• Practical considerations across eight critical areas: living situation, social connections, transportation, assistive technology, health management, personal support, communication, and assistance animals.

• Strategies for organisations to support individuals without taking over, ensuring autonomy, safety, and inclusion.

• Alignment with international obligations, including the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

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Attendees will gain actionable insights to embed inclusive emergency preparedness in organisational practice, strengthen collaboration across services, and ensure people with disability are informed, empowered, and safe during natural hazards and emergencies.​

{anel Q& A and Close 

Networking and depart