
This past week, we have welcomed a new NDIS Minister Amanda Rishworth as former minister Bill Shorten has stepped down from his position. Rishworth has been the member for Kingston in South Australia as well as the Minister for the Department of Social Services (DSS) since 2022.
Rishworth will continue in the role of DSS Minister as well as the NDIS Ministry. Additionally, Anne Aly (Member for Cowan in Western Australia) will undertake the role of Minister Assisting the NDIS Minister. This will also be alongside her current role of Minister for Early Childhood.
DSS has been heavily involved in recent NDIS policy changes, therefore, Rishworth has experience and familiarity within the NDIS space. Both Ministers for DSS and Early Childhood will certainly prove to be assets within the NDIS department, by creating more seamless access opportunities for eligible people with disabilities not included within the NDIS.
Moreover, the new “foundational support system” for those with disabilities is something that Rishworth is already aligned with as this was a part of her social services portfolio, hence, oversight of this system will also be undertaken within the NDIS portfolio.
As seen over this past year, the NDIS is estimated to cost taxpayers “$49 billion this financial year” and within the federal budget, the NDIS is “one of the fastest growing expenses.” Furthermore, the NDIS’ increasing expense will see it become “the most expensive area of government spending by 2030” (Mizen, 2025). Rishworth has stated that as the new NDIS minister, she is “honoured to take on the task of continuing to reform the NDIS to ensure its financial sustainability” (Mizen, 2025).
At Ability Partners, we welcome these new changes and very much look forward to the positive changes it may bring to the NDIS recipients. We will continue to work in partnership with our NDIS participants, to achieve goals that really matter. For those interested in how we can help, please get in touch!