19/03/2026
Financial Review
We’re seeing headlines like this gaining traction, and we need to be clear about what’s actually being represented.
This is not $12 billion for “walks.”
This is funding that allows people with disability to leave their home safely, attend appointments, stay connected to their community, and maintain their mental health. Without it, many people become isolated, unwell, and at far greater risk.
At the same time, providers delivering these supports have not seen meaningful pricing increases in years, despite rising wages, superannuation, insurance, and operational costs.
And yet, as we head into another Annual Pricing Review, the narrative being pushed is that these supports are excessive.
That matters.
Because when essential supports are framed as waste, it becomes easier to justify holding prices down, even when the cost of delivering safe, quality support continues to rise.
This is the reality on the ground:
providers are being asked to do more, with less, in an increasingly complex environment.
This isn’t just misleading, it’s unsustainable.
We can have a genuine conversation about sustainability and accountability.
But it needs to be grounded in reality.
Because this isn’t about “walks.”
It’s about properly funding essential supports, and recognising people with disability as human beings who deserve the same opportunity to live a full, connected life as everyone else.
