Our reference: FOI 25/26-1481 (LEXD 13128)
GPO Box 700
Canberra ACT 2601
1800 800 110
29 January 2026
ndis.gov.au
David Wright
By email: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Dear David Wright
Freedom of Information request — Notice of Decision
Thank you for your correspondence of 3 December 2025, in which you requested access
under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) to documents held by the National
Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA).
The purpose of this letter is to provide you with a decision on your request.
Scope of your request
You requested access to the following documents:
An article published in the Guardian on 3 December 2025, entitled 'NDIS plans will
be computer-generated, with human involvement dramatically cut under sweeping
overhaul', states:
"Funding and support plans for national disability insurance scheme participants will
be generated by a computer program and staff will have no discretion to amend
them, under a major overhaul of the NDIS to be rolled out next year, Guardian
Australia can reveal. Under the changes, human involvement in deciding support for
NDIS participants will be dramatically reduced. Details of the sweeping changes to
the way NDIS plans are made were outlined in a recent internal briefing to National
Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) staff, seen by Guardian Australia. The changes,
which are due to be rolled out from mid-2026 under the NDIS’s New Framework
Planning model, will also significantly affect a participant’s right to appeal decisions
about their funding."
I request a copy of this internal briefing.
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Processing period
The FOI Act provides 30 calendar days for the processing of an FOI request after it is
received. As your valid FOI request was received on 3 December 2025, the original due date
for your request was 2 January 2026. We have been experiencing processing delays, and
were unable to provide you with our decision by this date. During this period, the NDIA
operated under a Christmas reduced-activity period (RAP), which resulted in significantly
lower staff availability across the Agency. While the RAP does not pause or extend the
statutory processing timeframe under the FOI Act, it did affect the NDIA’s operational
capacity to progress FOI matters at the usual rate.
As we were unable to provide you with a decision on your request by the legislated due date,
your application is regarded as a deemed refusal under section 15AC of the FOI Act.
Despite this, I have continued to process your application. I apologise for the delay and
confirm that you retain your right to seek external review of this decision. Details are set out
in
Attachment B to this letter.
Search efforts
I consulted with NDIA staff in the following business areas, who conducted searches for
documents relevant to the scope of your request:
Scheme Transformation and Capability
Service
Delivery
Policy and Practice Leadership
As a result of these searches, two (2) documents were located. The documents were
identified by conducting searches of NDIA’s systems, using all reasonable search terms that
could return documents relevant to your request, and consulting with relevant NDIA staff
who could be expected to be able to identify documents within the scope of the request.
Decision on access to documents
I am authorised to make decisions under section 23(1) of the FOI Act. I have decided to
grant access to these two documents in full.
In reaching my decision, I took the following into account:
your correspondence outlining the scope of your request
the nature and content of the documents falling within the scope of your request
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the FOI Act
the FOI Guidelines published under section 93A of the FOI Act
consultation with relevant NDIA staff.
Release of documents
The documents for release, as referred to in the schedule of documents at
Attachment A,
are enclosed.
Rights of review
Your rights to seek a review of my decision, or lodge a complaint, are set out at
Attachment B.
Should you have any enquiries concerning this matter, please do not hesitate to contact me
by email at xxx@xxxx.xxx.xx.
Yours sincerely
Carolyn (CJW205)
A/g Assistant Director – Information Access
Information Access and Privacy Branch Reviews and Information Release Division
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Attachment A
Schedule of Documents
FOI 25/26-1481
Document
Page
Description
Access Decision
number
number
1 1-25
New Briefing Awareness Briefing
FULL ACCESS
Date: November 2025
2 26-35
New Briefing Awareness Briefing – Run Sheet
FULL ACCESS
Not Dated
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Attachment B
Freedom of Information request – Your review rights
As your request is deemed to have been refused under section 15AC of the FOI Act
because of processing delays, you are unable to apply for an internal review of the decision.
However, if you have concern with any aspect of this decision, please contact the NDIA FOI
team by email at xxx@xxxx.xxx.xx, or by post to:
Freedom of Information Section
Information Access and Privacy Branch
Reviews and Information Release Division
National Disability Insurance Agency
GPO Box 700
CANBERRA ACT 2601
Review by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
The FOI Act also gives you the right to apply for the Office of the Australian Information
Commissioner (OAIC) to seek a review of this decision.
If you wish to have the decision reviewed by OAIC, you may apply for the review in writing,
or by using the online merits review application form which is available on the OAIC’s
website, within 60 days of receiving this letter: OAIC Review Application Form.
Applications for review can be lodged with the OAIC in the following ways:
Online:
OAIC Review Application Form
Post:
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
GPO Box 5218
SYDNEY NSW 2001
Email:
xxxxxxxxx@xxxx.xxx.xx
Phone:
1300 363 992 (local call charge)
Website: www.oaic.gov.au
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Complaints to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner or the
Commonwealth Ombudsman
You may complain to either the Commonwealth Ombudsman or the OAIC about the actions
taken by the NDIA in relation to your request. The Ombudsman will consult with the OAIC
before investigating a complaint about the handling of an FOI request.
Your complaint to the OAIC can be directed to the contact details provided above.
Your complaint to the Ombudsman can be directed to:
Phone:
1300 362 072 (local call charge)
Email:
xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
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