Confusion over state and federal responsibilities at disability royal commission

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Following its morning session with senior public servants from the Department of Social Services, an afternoon session of the disability royal commission had much discussion over where the safety net was between state and federal agencies. 

The focus of this set of public hearings for the disability royal commission was the issue of homelessness and housing security for people with disability.  

Acting executive director at the NSW Department of Communities and Justice Zoe Dendle told the commission the NSW government does not consider itself a “last resort” for people with disability facing homelessness or housing insecurity. 

Dendle said that with the transition to the NDIS, the department no longer provided frontline service delivery for people with disabilities but the department did fund NGOs. 

“[The NGOs] absolutely operate a No Wrong Door principle. So if anyone approaches a service for support, they are supported into accommodation or case management or whatever supports required,” Dendel said. 

NDIA state manager for NSW & ACT Lisa Short said, when asked about Dendle’s response, the NDIS was not responsible for the “provision of social and public housing or housing services”.

Short was further questioned by commissioner John Ryan about how a participant could be expected to navigate the system when two senior public servants were not aware of who is responsible. She said it would not be something of which a participant would be aware. 

“When we’re talking about a participant wanting to know who’s responsible for — we wouldn’t put that in the lap of the participant. We would work that out between the agency and housing or homelessness services and not attempt to ever involve the participant in those discussions.

“Because they don’t really need to worry about who’s going to fund it. They just need it funded,” Short said. 

Dendle added the NDIA works with the state department in a few ways to assist those facing homelessness.

“New South Wales do [sic] contribute funding for specialist disability accommodation and supported living for people who may be accessing specialist homelessness services or properties managed by community housing providers. 

“Workers would work closely with local area coordinators or the NDIS support worker for somebody if they’re on an NDIS plan and living in a refuge, for example,” Dendle said. 

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DSS questioned over absence of homelessness in disability strategy