June was another very busy month, with multiple announcements for the sector and, pleasingly, the recommencement of the Tasmanian Senior Disability Leadership Lunches. It was a pleasure to see so many of you face to face for lunch in Launceston. The feedback from the day was overwhelmingly positive, so we will be looking to make sure these continue across the State and will consider if we can add on a relevant information or development session.  

Speaking of face-to-face sessions, the NDS's Disability Hot Topics Breakfast Tasmania will be here before you know it — it’s on Tuesday 8 August — so please register to attend. NDS CEO Laurie Leigh will take you through the big issues in disability and the Minister for Disability Services, Jo Palmer, will speak and answer your questions. If you have any questions you want to give in advance, please email me.     

The release of the Annual Price Review by the NDIA was the key issue that providers were discussing with me as we rolled into the end of the financial year. Last week we conducted a Provider Pulse Survey to better understand your concerns and add to our advocacy. Thanks to everyone who participated, we're compiling the results and will pass on your views to the federal government.

In June, NDS released its annual Workforce Census Report, which shows that the worsening conditions of previous years have stabilised. However, with an ongoing undersupply of workers and high turnover, the situation remains precarious. As NDS CEO Laurie Leigh observed, "Stability is not good enough in a sector that is growing as fast as ours. So many organizations tell us they see opportunities for growth, but they can’t take them. They know people who need services, but they can’t provide them because of workforce shortages.”    

NDS is keen that our ongoing advocacy to the NDIS Review represents members’ concerns. We particularly want to hear your views on the release of papers addressing pricing and payments and workforce.  

On 3 July, nominations opened for the NDS Tasmanian Divisional Committee. I encourage every voting member to nominate. Being part of the committee gives you another channel to help direct change in the disability sector, to inform strategy and policy and to engage with a variety of areas across State Government. We have five vacancies to fill in 2023–24. Thank you to our existing committee members for your contributions in 2022–23. It has been a pleasure getting to know you and learning more about the issues that matter to you. 

Thank you to Amy Standen, who finished up with NDS on completion of the Diversifying Disability Employment Project. In her final week, Amy organized a project wrap up and networking event for Project Stakeholders. It was wonderful to see over 30 people reflecting on the collaborative working partnerships that have been developed during the project, which will continue to increase employment opportunities for people with disability.      

NDS has welcomed Roen Meijers to the team. Roen is a leading a ‘Pathway from student to employment project’, funded by Jobs Tasmania. We’ll share more information about the project soon and seek contributions from members.      

ACNC Australian Charities Report provides comprehensive data and sector insights 

The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) has released the ninth edition of the Australian Charities Report. Commissioner Sue Woodward AM said it shows charity revenue, assets and donations grew in 2021. The report includes a focus on giving and philanthropy.  

The latest official data shows Australia’s charity sector generated $190 billion in revenue and employed 10.5 per cent of the workforce, highlighting its significance to the Australian economy and community.  

The report said: “Behind the top line figures are thousands of small charities operating with mostly volunteers. In fact, 65 per cent of charities are small, with annual revenue under $250,000, and a third of all charities have less than $50,000 annual revenue.” 

With so many events, training sessions, resources and surveys, NDS is a peak body that works hard to inform, link and advocate for its members. If you haven’t done so, renew your membership of NDS now. Its time, too, to review the various communities of practice on offer and have your say in your sector. 

We also run a variety of conferences each year, and I’m looking forwarding to seeing some of you in Canberra on 12 July, for the Disability at Work Conference 2023: Creating a Vision for Disability Employment. It’s not too late to register!