Push for Mandatory NDIS Provider Registration as Calls Grow for Major Scheme Overhaul

Most operators delivering services under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) are currently unregistered, but that may soon change as the federal government moves toward mandatory registration a shift that would require providers to meet higher quality, safety and workforce‑training standards.

Mandatory registration for Supported Independent Living (SIL) providers who assist participants with essential daily tasks such as showering, dressing and cooking is expected to form a central pillar of the government’s cost‑cutting and integrity‑boosting reforms.

Labor MP and paediatrician Mike Freelander told AAP that the conversation about reforming the $50 billion scheme must go far deeper than administrative tweaks. He said Australia needs to confront the “difficult conversation” about who should be eligible for the NDIS and who should not, arguing that the scheme requires a wholesale redesign to remain sustainable.

Freelander’s comments come as the government prepares to respond to the landmark NDIS Review, which recommended tightening access pathways, improving workforce standards and reducing reliance on unregistered providers.

With billions in projected growth and rising pressure on the federal budget, the push for mandatory registration is shaping up as one of the most consequential reforms in the scheme’s history and one that could redefine how disability support is delivered across Australia.