NSW Thriving Kids Petition

OTA has allied with the NSW Allied Health Providers Group to launch the NSW Thriving Kids Petition. The petition highlights the need to include the full allied health workforce, including private community-based providers, in the design, commissioning and delivery of Thriving Kids. The initiative will only succeed if occupational therapists and other allied health professionals delivering early childhood intervention and developmental supports across NSW are meaningfully involved. This workforce is central to service capacity, family choice, timely access, regional and remote coverage, and clinical governance.

OTA is concerned that too many NDIS participants, particularly children aged 0–8, may be transitioned into Thriving Kids while significant unmet need for therapy supports already exists. Without meaningful involvement from occupational therapists and other allied health professionals, participants may lose access to trusted early childhood intervention, developmental supports, timely assessment, therapy planning, continuity of care, and regional and remote services.

Special thanks to OTA Member Prarthna Bhuta for formally submitting this petition to the NSW Parliament.

We encourage NSW OTA members, NDIS participants, families, carers and people with lived experience to engage with and sign the petition by 3 October.

OTA plans to launch similar petitions in each Australian state and territory, as part of the ongoing No OTs, No NDIS campaign.

Supplementary submission on NDIS Amendment Bill

OTA has lodged a supplementary submission to the Senate Inquiry into the NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026.

The submission responds to the committee's interim report and reinforces the 13 recommendations set out in our original submission. It sets out why continued scrutiny of the Bill matters for occupational therapists and the participants they support.

Last year, more than 7,000 participants lost access to essential occupational therapy supports as providers found NDIS work unsustainable. Without change, this Bill risks compounding that pressure, further limiting participant access to the workforce they rely on.

The submission proposes three additional amendments to protect participants and the occupational therapy workforce. These relate to qualified assessors, pricing transparency, and registration alignment, each designed to mitigate the pressures most likely to compromise participant outcomes if left unaddressed.

OTA will continue to engage with the Bill as it progresses through Parliament, and will keep advocating for a genuinely sustainable NDIS – one that supports both participants and the occupational therapists working within it.

Members can read the full submission here.

OTA advocates ahead of the Victorian election

OTA has written to key Victorian Government, Opposition, Greens and independent MPs ahead of the 2026 Victorian election. Our advocacy is focused on Thriving Kids, psychosocial supports outside the NDIS and Victoria’s occupational therapy workforce. We are seeking meetings to reinforce the role of occupational therapists in reform design, workforce planning and service delivery.

Polling takes place on 28 November. OTA will keep members updated as this advocacy progresses.

New NDIA phone service for First Nations people with disability

The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) has launched First Nations Connect, a dedicated phone service for First Nations people seeking information or assistance with the NDIS.

The service is delivered through the NDIS National Contact Centre and is intended to provide a dedicated point of contact for First Nations people engaging with the NDIA.

The service was developed following consultation with First Nations communities, including input from more than 230 stakeholders. Staff supporting the service have completed specialised training, and that some staff identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.

First Nations Connect: 1800 411 640.