NDIS costs review is one you have without a review

The long-awaited review into the costs of the National Disability Insurance Scheme is a curious affair in that it doesn’t actually review the costs, not even in the final report.

Both the agency in charge of the rollout and the Productivity Commission say its too soon to reveal the true cost of the scheme. Make no mistake, the NDIS agency is swimming in data. It knows more about the prevalence of disability than any other outfit in the history of Australia and it knows the likely cost impact of “pressures” it has so far identified.

The rationale for delay is simple, however: wait nine more months and get double the data.

The commission says it agrees with the decision to wait but that by the end of the 2017-18 financial year there is no more reason to delay.

“While the NDIS is sometimes described as an ‘uncapped scheme’, the ultimate cap — and test of financial sustainability — is taxpayers’ continuing willingness to pay for it,” the PC says.

The time is fast approaching for the agency to lay its cards on the table, fully inform taxpayers (and for that matter, all governments) of how things are fairing and give everyone a chance to build the best scheme possible.

The pressing reality is that the NDIS was designed for those most in need of support. Cost overruns that result simply from fudging at the borders or from poor process will end up disadvantaging this very group.

The sooner any blowouts are identified, the better.