August 20th, 2026Provider registration only half the job on NDIS reform

The passage of new NDIS laws must now be followed by an equally serious effort to build the skilled workforce Australians with disability rely on, the Health Services Union said today.

The HSU welcomes mandatory registration for NDIS providers and stronger whistleblower protections but said national registration of disability support workers should now follow, as well as proper qualifications, training and career pathways to lift standards across the sector.

HSU National Secretary Dustin Halse said the legislation represented significant change and should light the path for further reform to the sector.

“The Government deserves credit for taking on bad providers and strengthening safeguards in a system that desperately needs them,” Mr Halse said.

“We particularly welcome mandatory provider registration and stronger protections for workers who blow the whistle. We fought to ensure workers can go to their union when something is wrong without putting themselves at risk. But if we are serious about quality and safety the next logical step is worker registration.

“Disability support workers perform complex and incredibly important work. They should have recognised qualifications, access to proper training and professional standards that reflect the responsibility they carry every day.

“We would now like to ensure workers who deliver the NDIS and the unions that represent them have a genuine seat at the table during implementation.”

HSU NSW/ACT/QLD Secretary Gerard Hayes said workers were often the first to know when something was going wrong inside a disability service.

“A support worker who sees neglect, unsafe practices or fraud should be able to pick up the phone to their union without fear of losing their job,” Mr Hayes said.

“Good services depend on workers being confident enough to raise problems before they become disasters. Unions have always been an integral part of that safety net and these laws finally recognise it.”