NDIS reform bill proposes unprecedented automation of discretionary government decisions

Summary

Legislation before parliament to reform the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) proposes an unprecedented expansion of automated government decision-making, allowing automation of discretionary decisions (not just administrative calculations) for the first time. The bill explicitly permits automation where discretion is exercised, evaluative judgments are made, or states of mind are formed. This comes as the government stalls on responding to key recommendations from the robodebt royal commission, raising concerns about the expansion of automated decision-making in sensitive welfare contexts.