Overview

• An initial $2 billion Commonwealth contribution will start a nationally coordinated program from July 2026, with full operation by July 2027 and state matching funds still to be finalised.
• From 1 July 2027, access changes will steer children with mild to moderate developmental delay or autism toward Thriving Kids, while current NDIS participants remain under usual arrangements, including reassessments.
• Supports will be delivered through schools, childcare, maternal and child health, GPs and community centres, with new Medicare items under consideration such as allied health services and a bulk-billed three-year-old check.
• The overhaul follows data showing about 740,000 NDIS participants overall, with roughly 23% under nine, 40% with autism as a primary diagnosis, and around one in ten six-year-olds on the scheme.
• Advocates describe the shift as potentially transformational but seek guarantees on continuity and costs, as some state leaders say they were blindsided and the opposition calls for detailed implementation plans.