The Story Behind the NDIS That Isn’t Making Headlines

There’s something that has been sitting heavy on my heart.

And I’m going to say it plainly.

The story being told about the NDIS right now is incomplete.

We are quick to share what is going wrong.
Quick to repost it.
Quick to amplify it.

But we are almost silent on what is holding this entire system together.

Because on the ground, what I see is very different.

Right now, global tensions involving Iran have disrupted oil supply and pushed fuel prices up across the world. We are feeling it here in Australia in real time. In Queensland, fuel is sitting around the mid two dollar range and in some places pushing close to three dollars per litre.

That hits everyone.

But not everyone carries that weight the same way.

Because in our sector, mobility is not optional.

Support workers are not sitting behind desks.
They are on the road.
Every single day.

Taking participants to appointments.
Supporting them to be part of their community.
Giving people dignity, independence, and a life outside four walls.

And here is the part that is not being talked about enough.

They are paying for it.

Literally.

Yes, providers may bill around one dollar per kilometre.
Yes, some workers get reimbursed somewhere between fifty cents to a dollar per kilometre.

But let’s be honest.

At current fuel prices, plus wear and tear, servicing, insurance and everything else that comes with running a car, the real cost of driving is already sitting close to or above that.

So what happens?

The gap is coming out of their pockets.

Quietly.
Consistently.
Without complaint.

Think about that for a second.

A workforce that is already giving so much
Is now also financially stretching themselves
Just to keep showing up for others

And yet… you won’t see that on the news.

You won’t see headlines saying
“Support workers are sacrificing their income to keep participants connected”

No.

What trends instead is the one provider who got it wrong.

And don’t get me wrong, accountability matters.

But when that becomes the dominant story, we start to distort reality.

Because the truth is this

The majority of this sector is built on people doing the right thing
Often at personal cost
Often without recognition

That is the real story.

And if we don’t start telling it, we are doing a disservice to the very people holding this system together.

Let me say this as a Managing Director

This workforce is not just supporting the system
They are carrying it

And right now, many of them are doing that under real financial pressure

That should concern all of us

So here is my challenge

To every provider
To every CEO
To every manager
To every leader in this space

Let’s stop being silent

Today, make a post about your frontline team
Call them out by name
Acknowledge the sacrifices they are making right now

Look at your internal policies
Are we actually supporting them or just expecting more from them

Have the uncomfortable conversations
Advocate for better structures
Push for changes where needed

And to government and policymakers

If this workforce is essential, then treat them like it

Review transport pricing
Align it with reality
Because when workers start absorbing system costs, the model is already under pressure

And this part is personal

To our Anchored Care support workers

We see you

We see the kilometres you are driving
We see the fuel receipts
We see the decisions you are making to still show up

But more than anything
We see your heart

Your commitment to people
Your consistency
Your willingness to keep going even when it costs you

We are proud of you
And we do not take you for granted

Let’s change what we amplify

Let’s tell the full story

Let’s make appreciation louder than negativity

Because if we don’t
The wrong narrative will keep defining us