The impact of the issues explored by the Disability Royal Commission may continue to be felt. If you or someone you know requires support, there are services available. Learn more at help and support for disability.
Here are answers to questions that are commonly asked about the Australian Government Response to the Disability Royal Commission.
The Disability Royal Commission’s recommendations are directed to Commonwealth and state and territory governments, with some a joint responsibility. A small number of recommendations are directed to non-government agencies.
Following the release of the Final Report, all governments agreed to the following break-down of responsibilities:
The Australian Government has primary or shared responsibility for 172 recommendations. In the initial response, the Australian Government:
The Final Report includes 50 recommendations directed specifically to state and territory governments for their consideration. Each state and territory will provide their own response for recommendations that are within their responsibility.
Given the breadth and scope of the recommendations, a staged approach is required to implement changes in response to the Disability Royal Commission recommendations.
Consistent with Commonwealth government decision-making processes, individual Ministers are responsible for activities within their portfolio.
The following Ministerial Councils have endorsed responses to the joint recommendations in the Government response:
National Cabinet and its relevant Ministerial Councils will help to drive implementation of Disability Royal Commission recommendations and hold jurisdictions accountable.
Given the breadth and scope of the recommendations, the response to the Disability Royal Commission will be implemented in phases.
That is why the Australian Government has announced a strong initial package of measures. This includes:
Implementation must be phased to ensure it allows for immediate change in key areas, while enabling collaboration and consultation over a longer period on more complex reform.
All entities responsible for implementing Disability Royal Commission recommendations will engage in genuine consultation and / or co-design with people with disability, carers, families, and advocates. This will ensure implementation is shaped by the diverse experience, knowledge, skills and contributions of people with disability across Australia.
The Australian Government response to the Disability Royal Commission is informed by the voices of people with disability, their families, carers, representative organisations, service providers and the broader community.
The Australian Government undertook extensive stakeholder engagement and consultation, including a public submissions process. The Government engaged with stakeholders and the community through a combination of high-level roundtables, forums, workshops, and individual meetings. These forums elicited a broad range of views from stakeholder groups and identified what is most important to them.
A public consultation was opened on 28 November 2023, through an online questionnaire and submission process. It received 335 questionnaire responses and 118 written submissions from a wide range of individuals and organisations.
All questionnaire responses and written submissions were analysed and consolidated into a de-identified report outlining key themes of responses. The report is available at the Engage website. Read the public consultation report(Opens in a new tab/window).
The Disability Royal Commission was a national inquiry involving the Commonwealth Government and all state and territory governments. Its Final Report called for a coordinated approach across all governments.
Commonwealth and state and territory governments are working closely on a coordinated and national approach to disability reform. This includes through the Disability Reform Ministerial Council (DRMC) which includes all ministers with responsibility for disability policy and services. Considering the Disability Royal Commission recommendations is a top priority for the DRMC.
The Australian Government announced the establishment of the Commonwealth Disability Royal Commission Taskforce on 29 September 2023 and committed $4.25 million funding over 2 years. The Taskforce is a work unit within the Department of Social Services.
The Taskforce comprises Department of Social Services staff, and seconded officers from Commonwealth portfolios including Health and Aged Care, Education, Attorney Generals, the National Indigenous Australians Agency, and National Disability Insurance Agency.
If you are seeking disability support services, there are still a wide range of options available. Learn more at help and support for disability.