Latest news with #NDIS
7NEWS
12 hours ago
- Business
- 7NEWS
Disability employer Bedford Group makes shock voluntary administration announcement
One of Australia's largest disability employers has announced its 'devastating' decision to put it's multi-million dollar company into voluntary administration. Bedford Group made the announcement on Thursday, confirming it may affect up to 1400 staff across South Australia. The group is the state's second-biggest disability employer. Bedford is a not-for-profit that has been operating in SA for more than 80 years, employing people with a disability to work across various industries, including manufacturing, landscaping, hospitality and cleaning. Since the NDIS was established, the disability non-profits had struggled, CEO Myron Mann and Board Chair Janet Miller said in a statement obtained by They also pointed to the federal government as contributing to the state of the company. 'Despite this forward-thinking and a strong balance sheet of $47m in net assets, we have faced more recent challenges with cashflow,' Mann and Miller said. 'This has restricted our ability to operate and to access more working capital to realise the sustainable future we are working so hard towards. 'Bedford alongside almost 70 per cent of registered NDIS providers have faced financial challenges since the introduction of the NDIS. We recognised the need to be proactive in the face of these challenges in 2022 and subsequently developed our Future Bedford strategy to build a sustainable future for our community. 'We have been working to identify ways in which we could access working capital to ensure our future, however recently and following an exhaustive negotiation process with both State and Federal Governments in addition to our banking partner NAB; we have found ourselves in a difficult position. 'While the South Australian government has been sympathetic to our situation, they require the Commonwealth Government to fund at least half of the required amount we need to remain operational and the Commonwealth Government will not provide this aid. 'As such, today Bedford is devastated to announce that on Monday 28 July 2025 the organisation is expected to enter voluntary administration due to the lack of Commonwealth support.' A federal government spokesperson said Bedford Group had received more than $40 million in NDIS funding since April 2024, and that they were supporting discussions between the company and state government, according to the Adelaide Advertiser. Premier Peter Malinauskas said the state government would continue to work with Bedford Group, and that he will meet with company leadership on Friday. 'For some weeks, there have been active discussions between the state government and Bedford regarding its financial situation,' he said. 'There is no doubt that this is a very worrying time for people with disability who rely on Bedford, and I want them and their families to know that I will be doing everything I can to assist and support them through this challenging period.'
Sky News AU
a day ago
- Business
- Sky News AU
'Bunch of drunken sailors': Sky News host Steve Price scorns Labor's 'crazy' spending as NDIS budget exceeds defence by a billion
Sky News host Steve Price has hit out at Labor's 'crazy' spending as the NDIS budget overshadows defence while more than half the nation relies on some form of government subsidy. Price said the Albanese government was rightly happy to have won the federal election, but now needed to get the country 'back on track'. A report by the Centre for Independent Studies which found more than half of Australian voters rely on government for most of their income - through wages, benefits or subsidies - was proof of the major challenges ahead, he claimed. 'We have become a nation of leaners, not leaders, and I hate to say that,' Price said. 'We have continued to swamp the country with unprecedented numbers of migrants. We have workers relying on governments for their pay packets. That grows alarmingly.' CIS economist Robert Carling warned such widespread dependence has fuelled unsustainable government spending and eroded economic resilience. In a new paper published on Wednesday, Leviathan on the Rampage, Mr Carling warned federal spending alone has reached 27.6 per cent of GDP. This was up from between 24 and 25 per cent of GDP in 2012-13 and has been fuelled by a 'program expansion in social services, defence and debt interest'. 'How can that be sustainable?' Price said. 'According to that report, spending is driven largely by a small group of programmes including - surprise surprise - the NDIS, Aged Care, Medicare and Defence. The NDIS is actually costing taxpayers more than what we spend on defence. How crazy is that? This year alone, $52 billion on the NDIS. 'Simply not sustainable.' Australia's current defence budget is $51 billion. Price said the Labor government was 'spending like a bunch of drunken sailors'. According to the federal budget 2025-26, the NDIS recorded the second highest annual growth in major payments, behind only interest. It has been projected to cost more than $64 billion by the end of the decade. Meanwhile, the federal budget has been projected to endure a decade of deficits and surge past $1 trillion of debt. The findings come just days after leaked Treasury advice revealed the Albanese government has been told to pursue 'spending reductions'. Treasury said Treasurer Jim Chalmers would need to find 'additional revenue and spending reductions' to ensure a 'sustainable budget'.
West Australian
2 days ago
- Business
- West Australian
Disability support provider Activ Foundation to become genU after merger with Victorian provider
Disability support service Activ Foundation will be known as genU from September 1 after the WA organisation's merger with the Victorian provider. Activ and genU announced in 2024 that they were joining forces to broaden both organisations' service offerings across disability employment, accommodation, allied health, community programs, training and social enterprise. The merger will make genU one of the country's biggest NDIS providers. Chief corporate officer Kelly Marshall said the move would strengthen the calibre of services provided. 'Our current Activ clients won't see any change — they will continue to receive the same high-quality services, from the same friendly faces, in the same familiar places,' she said. Ms Marshall said that scaling up would allow the organisation to give stability for existing clients and ensure the organisation was 'prepared for the future and can continue to empower people to lead their best lives'. 'Our national presence gives us a strong foundation to advocate on behalf of our clients and the sector, and we are also expanding our national opportunities for partnerships and fundraising to reduce the reliance on government funding for core services,' she said. Proceeds from genU's WA-based fundraising initiatives will stay in the State to be invested back into local programs and services, including the Chevron City to Surf for Activ, which will become the Chevron City to Surf for genU from 2026.
Sky News AU
2 days ago
- Business
- Sky News AU
‘Debt-funded largesse': Majority of voters depend on government income, new research finds, as public spending hits post-war high
More than half of Australian voters rely on government for most of their income—through wages, benefits or subsidies—according to new research by the Centre for Independent Studies. CIS economist Robert Carling has warned that such widespread dependence has fuelled unsustainable government spending and eroded economic resilience. In a new paper published on Wednesday, Leviathan on the Rampage, Mr Carling warned that federal spending alone has reached 27.6 per cent of GDP. This was up from 24-25 per cent of GDP in 2012-13 and has been fuelled by a 'program expansion in social services, defence and debt interest'. More than half of Australian voters rely on government for most of their income—through wages, benefits or subsidies—according to new research by the Centre for Independent Studies. Federal government programs spiral Mr Carling's report highlighted that a small group of rapidly expanding programs drive more than 60 per cent of the growth in federal spending since 2012–13. These programs include the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), aged care, Medicare, and defence. The NDIS has exceeded the entire federal government's expenditure on defence and will cost taxpayers $52 billion in 2025, compared to $51 billion for the defence budget. According to the federal budget 2025-26, the NDIS recorded the second highest annual growth in major payments, behind only interest. It has been projected to cost more than $64 billion by the end of the decade. Meanwhile, the federal budget has been projected to endure a decade of deficits and surge past $1 trillion of debt. Robert Carling is a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Independent Studies and a former World Bank, IMF and federal and state Treasury economist. Drawing on influential economist Frederic Bastiat's warning that 'the state is that great fiction by which everyone tries to live at the expense of everyone else', Mr Carling argues Australia has crossed a tipping point. 'Without a determined reset of expectations, Australia risks sliding into a European-style welfare state — slower growth, higher taxes and a culture where 'voting for a living' replaces 'working for a living'," he said. 'The honeymoon of debt-funded largesse is over.' The CIS report warns that even if current growth in some areas slows, debt interest costs are projected to rise by 9.5 per cent annually over the next decade. Meanwhile, over $100 billion in off-budget 'investments', including energy transition funds and student loan schemes, remain hidden from headline spending figures. Leaked treasury advice calls for tax hikes The findings come just days after leaked Treasury advice revealed the Albanese government has been advised to pursue 'spending reductions'. The independent Treasury said that Treasurer Jim Chalmers would need to find 'additional revenue and spending reductions' to ensure 'sustainable budget'. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley warned on Tuesday that 'clearly there is work going on to increase taxes'. 'We know this because of leaked Treasury advice that demonstrates that there will be a plan coming forward to tax Australians more,' she said. 'Now that's a broken promise if that happens, and we will hold them to account.' Treasurer defends long-term reform plan Treasurer Jim Chalmers has defended the government's fiscal plan and said the leaked briefing was not inconsistent with the government's stated priorities. 'The (upcoming economic reform) roundtable is all about building consensus on long-term economic reform, with a focus on … budget sustainability,' he said on Friday. 'It's an outstanding group of people who we believe will make a big contribution to the future direction of economic reform. 'While we can't invite representatives from every industry or organisation, everyone has the chance to have their say in this process with online submissions still open.'
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Talented 10-year-old runner is BANNED from competing because he has autism
A 10-year-old boy with autism, Charlie Cox, has been excluded from the NSW Primary School Cross Country Championships. Despite qualifying for the state finals as a special needs athlete, the NSW Education Department ruled him ineligible to compete. The decision has sparked scrutiny of the state's athletics guidelines for students with disabilities. 'We were very disappointed that Charlie was excluded,' his father Owen Cox told Channel Seven. 'We are hoping that there's some type of intervention from the government. Fingers crossed things can change.' The number of autistic Australians rose by 41.8 per cent from 2018 to 2022, reaching 290,900 people or 1.1 per cent of the population, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental condition that affects how a person communicates, interacts, and experiences the world. It is recognised as a disability in Australia under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS); however, funding is restricted to only the more severe cases on the spectrum. Because autism is a spectrum, not every case is the same. While some children may be impacted by developmental delays or issues with motor skills, sensory processing, social interactions, and cognitive functions, others thrive in sport with appropriate support and accommodations. NBA player Tony Snell, NFL defender Joe Barksdale and Major League Baseball star Jim Eisenreich are some high-profile autistic athletes who have competed at the highest level. The spectrum is what has made it challenging to create an autism category. 'As such, the inclusion of an autism category for the sports of athletics and cross country are not feasible in the Representative School Sport Pathway,' the NSW Department of Education told Charlie's family. 'There are no nationally recognised benchmarks to support fair and consistent result calculation. 'Other states and territories that have made local provisions for participation do so outside the formal School Sport Australia pathway and there is no fair or consistent result calculation, nor is there a pathway to the next level of representation. 'Your concern is acknowledged and please be reassured that the NSW Department of Education remains committed to advocating for broader inclusion through national sporting bodies such as Athletics Australia.' 'He is so keen [to run],' his mother Sasha told Radio 2GB host Ben Fordham. 'He keeps asking, 'Do I get to run? Do I get to run?" 'It's heartbreaking when you have to tell him we don't know, we have to wait and see. 'But I try and digress him [to] possibly take up tennis next year, so I am already prepping him for that.' Fordham said he was surprised there is no category for ASD children given the rapid rise in Australians with the condition. 'That would make common sense, wouldn't it?' Sasha responded. 'But unfortunately it hasn't gone that way and it's not really inclusive for autistic athletes in athletics.' Fordham asked Sasha what competing meant to her son. 'He is so proud of himself. Just the pride and the self awareness and being able to encourage him to go further,' she said. 'It's really helped him as a person to grow and adapt. 'Intellectual abilities are allowed to compete. 'The fellas he was running up against will be participating there on Wednesday, so yes, they're included. 'But not Charlie, not autism, unfortunately.' Fordham said that it appeared that Athletics Australia had put Charlie's case in the 'too hard' basket. 'Is it too much to organise?' Sasha asked. 'Maybe they need to speak to other bodies and see how they administer their policies in including autism and categorising them. 'I'm not too sure, but there has to be something that can be done, surely.' Charlie has received plenty of support, with a large number of Aussies claiming his exclusion was discrimination. 'He won the race and qualified to go further, but because he has autism he is disqualified from competing? What a joke, he has autism, he is not from another planet,' one commented. 'He has earned the right to run, just let him run,' another said. Others pointed out that because of the autism spectrum it was not as simple as creating an ASD classification. 'I'm autistic, I get what they are saying. It's too much of a spectrum they haven't nailed down yet,' one Aussie posted on social media. Many commenters were united in the belief that Charlie should be allowed to run, not just excluded because there is no classification for him. 'Just because there arent any classifications for different disabilities doesn't mean they should exclude,' one follower posted. 'It is terrible that he can't compete because their [sic] is no classification for autistic athletes in the but why can he not just compete in the 'able body class' with everyone else?' asked another.
