A busy time for the NDS Queensland team had us meeting with government departments, as well as hosting two collaboration groups, one for senior leaders and the other for leaders from remote and regional Queensland. The events give us the chance to hear directly from members and fine tune our policy positions. 

The Queensland office was honoured to host the NDS Regional and Remote Conference in Cairns on 9 and 10 of April. With 150 providers on site and another 40 attending by livestream, the event was a great success. With the theme “Invigorate!”, the panels and presentations had plenty to energise us.  

One thing that came through was that, despite the pressures on providers in regional and remote Australia, there was no shortage of fresh ideas and innovative solutions.  We heard about ways to improve services for First Nations participants, place-based service delivery, the future direction of reform, and emergency and disaster management. Many of the presentations touched on the importance of community consultation in remote regions, that to engage with our communities is to play to our greatest strength.  

Our Senior Sector Development Officer, Tracey Shaw and I followed up on that theme by holding a community connection event for providers from the Cairns area. It was a good chance for local leaders to share their experiences and for us to further understand the pressures they are under.  

Now well into the second quarter of the year, things will only get more hectic for us and the sector. With the Queensland and federal governments due to release their responses to the NDIS Review recommendations by mid-year, we are keen to see how a new system of foundational supports will develop. And having just hosted the regional and remote conference, we have been strongly reminded that reforms must be a solution for everyone, not just those in towns and cities. 

And don’t forget that I am always keen to hear from you on any issue.