Joint with state and territory disability ministers.

On behalf of the Australian Government and all state and territory governments, Disability Ministers have released the Joint Australian, State and Territory Response to the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability.

The Disability Royal Commission was Australia’s largest inquiry into the experiences of people with disability, hearing from almost 10,000 people across Australia over four and a half years.

We thank all those who took part in the inquiry and shared their experiences and views. Your contributions have and will continue to pave the way towards a better future for all people with disability across Australia.

We also thank the Commissioners for their important and extensive work.

The Disability Royal Commission’s final report highlighted the harm, exclusion and discrimination Australians with disability experience, and made 222 recommendations for a safer and more inclusive Australia.

Of the recommendations, there are 84 that fall solely into the remit of the Commonwealth, a further 85 have joint responsibility between the states, territories and the Commonwealth and 50 recommendations are entirely in the purview of states and territories. A further 3 recommendations are the responsibility of the Commonwealth and non-government organisations.

All governments have accepted or accepted in-principle the majority of the 85 recommendations within shared responsibility.

Earlier this year, all governments committed to working closely together to implement ongoing reforms to support the Disability Royal Commission’s vision for an inclusive Australia, where people with disability can live free from harm. Collaboration will be essential to achieving meaningful and lasting change for Australians with disability.

We have agreed to work together in a coordinated way to ensure people with disability have access to culturally appropriate, safe, and quality services and supports regardless of where they are living in Australia.

We will work together with the disability community to implement reforms that strengthen safeguards, protect the rights of people with disability, and remove barriers to their full participation in society. The reforms will prioritise improving inclusion and accessibility for all people with disability.  

Implementation will be done in stages, prioritising action in the areas which people with disability have identified as the most important. We will do this in a coordinated way alongside our collective work on disability reform, including the response to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Review, action under Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021-2031, and state, territory and local government disability strategies and inclusion plans.

We will continue to work closely with the disability community as we move forward with this work, ensuring the voices, experience and expertise of people with disability are directly shaping the reforms that affect them.

All governments have agreed to report twice a year to the Disability Reform Ministerial Council, and the community, on the implementation of recommendations to remain accountable for our progress.