Western Australia Disability & NDIS
WA has around 55,000 NDIS participants. Extreme distance creates thin markets across the Kimberley, Pilbara, and Goldfields-Esperance regions.
ROGS 2026
System Outcomes — Western Australia
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Participants — autism (%) | 41.3 | 2025 |
| Average plan payment — Indigenous ($K) | 53 | 2025 |
| Average plan payment — metro ($K) | 47 | 2025 |
| Average plan payment — remote ($K) | 48 | 2025 |
| Participants — intellectual disability (%) | 14.6 | 2025 |
| NDIS contributions ($'000) | $1.4B | 2024-25 |
| NDIS participants per 1,000 (0-64) | 24.3 | 2025 |
| Participants — psychosocial disability (%) | 8.7 | 2025 |
| Unauthorised chemical restraint | 11.2 | 2024-25 |
| Unauthorised physical restraint | 3.9 | 2024-25 |
| Unauthorised seclusion incidents | 1.3 | 2024-25 |
| Plan implementation satisfaction (%) | 57.5 | 2025 |
| Total disability expenditure ($M) | $118K | 2024-25 |
| Total NDIS payments ($M) | $4.1M | 2024-25 |
| Transport difficulty — severe disability (%) | 44.7 | 2022 |
| Transport difficulty — all disability (%) | 20.4 | 2022 |
| Plan utilisation — Indigenous (%) | 61.9 | 2025 |
| Plan utilisation — metro (%) | 68.3 | 2025 |
| Plan utilisation — non-Indigenous (%) | 67.4 | 2025 |
| Plan utilisation — regional (%) | 60.9 | 2025 |
| Plan utilisation — remote (%) | 59.9 | 2025 |
Thin Market Analysis
NDIS thin markets in Western Australia
| LGA | Remoteness | Participants | Providers | Status | Desert |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perth (C) | 370 | 0 | CRITICAL | — | |
| WA - Other | 18 | 0 | CRITICAL | — | |
| Shark Bay (S) | 13 | 0 | CRITICAL | — | |
| Wanneroo (C) | 5,974 | 0 | CRITICAL | — | |
| Subiaco (C) | 296 | 0 | CRITICAL | — | |
| Capel (S) | 559 | 0 | CRITICAL | — | |
| Victoria Plains (S) | 12 | 0 | CRITICAL | — | |
| East Fremantle (T) | 108 | 0 | CRITICAL | — | |
| Beverley (S) | 30 | 0 | CRITICAL | — | |
| Leonora (S) | 13 | 0 | CRITICAL | — | |
| Manjimup (S) | 256 | 0 | CRITICAL | — | |
| Fremantle (C) | 733 | 0 | CRITICAL | — | |
| Broomehill-Tambellup (S) | 31 | 0 | CRITICAL | — | |
| Irwin (S) | 71 | 0 | CRITICAL | — | |
| Cuballing (S) | 22 | 0 | CRITICAL | — | |
| Donnybrook-Balingup (S) | 166 | 0 | CRITICAL | — | |
| Kojonup (S) | 29 | 0 | CRITICAL | — | |
| Plantagenet (S) | 120 | 0 | CRITICAL | — | |
| York (S) | 93 | 0 | CRITICAL | — | |
| Wongan-Ballidu (S) | 26 | 0 | CRITICAL | — |
Top Disability Providers
By cross-system connections
| Organisation | Remoteness | Connections |
|---|---|---|
| Ability Centre Australasia Ltd | Major Cities of | 25 |
| West Australian Foundation For Deaf Children (Inc) | Major Cities of | 15 |
| Activ Foundation Limited | Major Cities of | 15 |
| Variety Wa Incorporated | Major Cities of | 14 |
| Disabled Children's Foundation Inc | Major Cities of | 6 |
| Valued Lives Foundation Ltd | Major Cities of | 5 |
| THE TRUSTEE FOR THE TONG FOUNDATION | Major Cities of | 4 |
| The SP Charitable Foundation | Major Cities of | 3 |
| BILA FOUNDATION LTD | Major Cities of | 2 |
| DISABILITY EMPOWERMENT AND SUPPORT FOUNDATION LIMITED | Major Cities of | 2 |
| AUSLAN (WA) PTY LTD | Major Cities of | 1 |
| CITY OF BAYSWATER | Major Cities of | 1 |
| SHIRE OF MANJIMUP | Outer Regional | 1 |
| CHUNG WAH ASSOCIATION | Major Cities of | 1 |
| Maano Traders Pty Ltd | Very Remote | 1 |
Evidence Base (ALMA)
What works in Western Australia disability services
Policy Timeline
Key legislation, inquiries, and reforms
NDIS expenditure reaches $42.7B annually. Growth moderation target of 8% (down from 14%). Fraud and compliance measures.
Major NDIS reform legislation. New needs assessments, budgets replace plan values, foundational supports, participant pathway redesign.
Independent review by Prof. Bruce Bonyhady and Lisa Paul. 26 recommendations including redesign of NDIS Act, new "foundational supports" outside NDIS, better planning.
Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability. 7 years, 10,000+ submissions, 222 recommendations.
Enhanced compliance and enforcement powers. New worker screening requirements. Practice standards for behaviour support.
National strategy across 7 outcome areas. Replaces NDS 2010-2020. Guiding Principles include human rights, self-determination, accessibility.
Legislated service standards including timeframes for plan approval, plan reviews, and access decisions.
WA final jurisdiction to enter bilateral agreement. Previously ran own WA NDIS model.
National Disability Insurance Scheme established. Lifetime approach to disability support, moving from block funding to individual packages.
Oversight & Accountability
Recommendations from inquiries, audits, and commissions
| Body | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
ANAO NDIS Decision-Making Audit | ANAO-DIS-1Improve consistency and transparency of NDIS access and planning decisions | partially implemented |
Disability Royal Commission Final Report | DRC-1Phase out and prohibit group homes and congregate settings for people with disability by 2043 | pending |
Disability Royal Commission Final Report | DRC-2Establish a Disability Rights Act to enshrine rights of people with disability in legislation | pending |
Disability Royal Commission Final Report | DRC-3Eliminate use of restrictive practices (chemical, mechanical, physical restraint, seclusion) by 2033 | pending |
Disability Royal Commission Final Report | DRC-4All states and territories raise minimum age of criminal responsibility to 14 years | pending |
Joint Standing Committee on NDIS NDIS Workforce Inquiry | JSC-1Develop national NDIS workforce strategy with pathway programs, wage increases, and rural incentives | partially implemented |
NDIS Review Working together to deliver the NDIS | NDISR-1Establish new "foundational supports" funded by all governments, outside the NDIS | partially implemented |
NDIS Review Working together to deliver the NDIS | NDISR-2Replace current planning process with new needs assessment and budget-based approach | partially implemented |
NDIS Review Working together to deliver the NDIS | NDISR-3Create navigator roles to help participants access both NDIS and foundational supports | pending |
Cross-System Organisations
Entities receiving disability/NDIS funding that also appear in other domains
| Organisation | Systems | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING | child protectionndis | $15.1M |
| Community Living Association Inc | child protectionndis | $7.3M |
| MEALS ON WHEELS WA INC. | child protectionndis | $153K |