Victoria Disability & NDIS
Victoria has over 170,000 NDIS participants with a mature disability services market. Thin markets emerge in rural Gippsland and North West regions.
ROGS 2026
System Outcomes — Victoria
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Participants — autism (%) | 38.4 | 2025 |
| Average plan payment — Indigenous ($K) | 42 | 2025 |
| Average plan payment — metro ($K) | 47 | 2025 |
| Average plan payment — remote ($K) | 26 | 2025 |
| Participants — intellectual disability (%) | 14.6 | 2025 |
| NDIS contributions ($'000) | $3.2B | 2024-25 |
| NDIS participants per 1,000 (0-64) | 32.3 | 2025 |
| Participants — psychosocial disability (%) | 10.2 | 2025 |
| Unauthorised chemical restraint | 8.4 | 2024-25 |
| Unauthorised physical restraint | 1.9 | 2024-25 |
| Unauthorised seclusion incidents | 0.4 | 2024-25 |
| Plan implementation satisfaction (%) | 65.6 | 2025 |
| Total disability expenditure ($M) | $393K | 2024-25 |
| Total NDIS payments ($M) | $11.4M | 2024-25 |
| Transport difficulty — severe disability (%) | 33.7 | 2022 |
| Transport difficulty — all disability (%) | 17.8 | 2022 |
| Plan utilisation — Indigenous (%) | 67.4 | 2025 |
| Plan utilisation — metro (%) | 71.9 | 2025 |
| Plan utilisation — non-Indigenous (%) | 70.3 | 2025 |
| Plan utilisation — regional (%) | 65.9 | 2025 |
| Plan utilisation — remote (%) | 52.4 | 2025 |
Thin Market Analysis
NDIS thin markets in Victoria
| LGA | Remoteness | Participants | Providers | Status | Desert |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monash (C) | 3,698 | 0 | CRITICAL | — | |
| Wangaratta (RC) | 1,152 | 0 | CRITICAL | — | |
| Golden Plains (S) | 963 | 0 | CRITICAL | — | |
| Mildura (RC) | 2,369 | 0 | CRITICAL | — | |
| Horsham (RC) | 781 | 0 | CRITICAL | — | |
| West Wimmera (S) | 86 | 0 | CRITICAL | — | |
| Queenscliffe (B) | 48 | 0 | CRITICAL | — | |
| South Gippsland (S) | 878 | 0 | CRITICAL | — | |
| Indigo (S) | 526 | 0 | CRITICAL | — | |
| Knox (C) | 4,717 | 0 | CRITICAL | — | |
| Latrobe (C) (Vic.) | 3,527 | 0 | CRITICAL | — | |
| Gannawarra (S) | 264 | 0 | CRITICAL | — | |
| Strathbogie (S) | 262 | 0 | CRITICAL | — | |
| Hume (C) | 9,564 | 0 | CRITICAL | — | |
| Baw Baw (S) | 2,125 | 0 | CRITICAL | — | |
| Moonee Valley (C) | 3,100 | 0 | CRITICAL | — | |
| Swan Hill (RC) | 742 | 0 | CRITICAL | — | |
| Corangamite (S) | 506 | 0 | CRITICAL | — | |
| Moreland (C) | 4,774 | 0 | CRITICAL | — | |
| Ararat (RC) | 424 | 0 | CRITICAL | — |
Top Disability Providers
By cross-system connections
| Organisation | Remoteness | Connections |
|---|---|---|
| Able Australia Services | Major Cities of | 34 |
| Summer Housing SDA Trust | Major Cities of | 32 |
| Summer Foundation Ltd | Major Cities of | 28 |
| Australian Federation Of Disability Organisations (Afdo) Ltd | Major Cities of | 24 |
| CBM Australia Limited | Major Cities of | 20 |
| WISE Global Foundation | Major Cities of | 18 |
| Sport Inclusion Australia | Inner Regional | 17 |
| Summer Housing Pavilions SDA Trust | Major Cities of | 15 |
| The Salt Foundation | Major Cities of | 14 |
| North Gippsland Trust For The Mentally Retarded | Inner Regional | 10 |
| Quest Foundation Inc | Major Cities of | 10 |
| Hailay and Tsehay Foundation Inc. | Major Cities of | 8 |
| The Trustee For Katherine Farnsworth Legh-Cavendish Trust | Major Cities of | 6 |
| BEYOND DREAMS FOUNDATION LTD | Major Cities of | 4 |
| Action For More Independence & Dignity In Accommodation | Major Cities of | 4 |
Evidence Base (ALMA)
What works in Victoria disability services
Policy Timeline
Key legislation, inquiries, and reforms
NDIS expenditure reaches $42.7B annually. Growth moderation target of 8% (down from 14%). Fraud and compliance measures.
Review of Disability Act 2006. Focus on rights-based framework, community inclusion, and interaction with NDIS.
Major NDIS reform legislation. New needs assessments, budgets replace plan values, foundational supports, participant pathway redesign.
Independent review by Prof. Bruce Bonyhady and Lisa Paul. 26 recommendations including redesign of NDIS Act, new "foundational supports" outside NDIS, better planning.
Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability. 7 years, 10,000+ submissions, 222 recommendations.
Enhanced compliance and enforcement powers. New worker screening requirements. Practice standards for behaviour support.
National strategy across 7 outcome areas. Replaces NDS 2010-2020. Guiding Principles include human rights, self-determination, accessibility.
Legislated service standards including timeframes for plan approval, plan reviews, and access decisions.
National Disability Insurance Scheme established. Lifetime approach to disability support, moving from block funding to individual packages.
Oversight & Accountability
Recommendations from inquiries, audits, and commissions
| Body | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
ANAO NDIS Decision-Making Audit | ANAO-DIS-1Improve consistency and transparency of NDIS access and planning decisions | partially implemented |
Disability Royal Commission Final Report | DRC-1Phase out and prohibit group homes and congregate settings for people with disability by 2043 | pending |
Disability Royal Commission Final Report | DRC-2Establish a Disability Rights Act to enshrine rights of people with disability in legislation | pending |
Disability Royal Commission Final Report | DRC-3Eliminate use of restrictive practices (chemical, mechanical, physical restraint, seclusion) by 2033 | pending |
Disability Royal Commission Final Report | DRC-4All states and territories raise minimum age of criminal responsibility to 14 years | pending |
Joint Standing Committee on NDIS NDIS Workforce Inquiry | JSC-1Develop national NDIS workforce strategy with pathway programs, wage increases, and rural incentives | partially implemented |
NDIS Review Working together to deliver the NDIS | NDISR-1Establish new "foundational supports" funded by all governments, outside the NDIS | partially implemented |
NDIS Review Working together to deliver the NDIS | NDISR-2Replace current planning process with new needs assessment and budget-based approach | partially implemented |
NDIS Review Working together to deliver the NDIS | NDISR-3Create navigator roles to help participants access both NDIS and foundational supports | pending |
Cross-System Organisations
Entities receiving disability/NDIS funding that also appear in other domains
| Organisation | Systems | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Health | child protectionndis | $279.5M |
| The Salvation Army (Qld) Property Trust | child protectionndis | $24.1M |
| Lifestyle Solutions (Aust) Ltd | child protectionndis | $15.5M |
| Vision Australia Limited | child protectionndis | $9.5M |
| Interact Australia Limited | child protectionndis | $4.5M |
| Access Incorporated | child protectionndis | $4.2M |
| Australian Red Cross Society | child protectionndis | $3.7M |
| Neami Limited | child protectionndis | $503K |
| FITZROY LEGAL SERVICE INC | legal servicesndis | $40K |
| Reclink Australia | child protectionndis | $10K |
| Australian Trust For Conservation Volunteers | child protectionndis | $7K |
| Hellenic Australian Sports Foundation Inc | family servicesndis | $0 |