First person living with a disability becomes NDIA chair

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Kurt Fearnley has been named chair of the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), following the departure of his predecessor Denis Napthine in July.

Fearnley is a former Paralympian and was previously on the independent advisory council of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) from 2013 to 2015. 

Concurrently, Rebecca Falkingham has been named chief executive of the NDIS. She will leave her current role as secretary of Victoria’s Department of Justice and Community Safety to take on the position. 

The former secretary said she was “thrilled” to join the organisation. 

“I will work every day for the betterment of the scheme and to rebuild trust among Australians with disability,” Falkingham said. 

Earlier this year, the former Victorian bureaucrat spoke at the 2022 Public Sector Women Awards delivering the IPAA Victoria keynote address.

Napthine will rejoin the NDIA as a board member, after leaving following the departure of NDIA’s CEO Martin Hoffman. 

Dr Graeme Innes and Maryanne Diamond were announced as also joining the board as directors. 

The appointments bring the number of people with disability sitting on the board up to five, which the government said was the largest number in its history. 

“Alongside Graeme, Maryanne and Rebecca, I recognise this is the start line not the end of the journey,” Fearnley said of his appointment.

Today I’m thrilled to announce that Australian Paralympic legend and disability advocate Kurt Fearnley AO will be the new chair of the board of the National Disability Insurance Agency. pic.twitter.com/1dXTyFCZcT

— Bill Shorten (@billshortenmp) September 26, 2022

Shorten said Fearnley would be the first person with disability to lead the board, “heralding a new era”.

“The new board members each bring extensive experience in the corporate and public sectors as well as lived experience of disability,” the minister said. 

“Having more people with disability in leadership positions will pivot the scheme and rebuild trust with the disability sector.”

Shorten thanked outgoing acting chair Jim Minto, adding the new appointments showed the NDIS was run with a view to including more voices.

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