Australian bill proposes unprecedented automation of discretionary NDIS decisions amid robodebt concerns

Summary

Legislation before the Australian parliament proposes an unprecedented expansion of automated government decision-making within the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). For what is believed to be the first time, the bill would permit automation of discretionary decisions—not just administrative calculations—including the exercise of discretion, evaluative judgments, and formation of state of mind. 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 social welfare contexts.