People living with disability in regional Western Australia are set to benefit from a major push to improve access to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), with governments rolling out a new initiative designed to bring allied health services closer to country communities.

The program, jointly funded by state and federal governments, aims to tackle one of the biggest challenges facing regional participants: the lack of local disability support professionals. By deploying clinicians into remote towns and strengthening local service networks, officials hope to reduce long travel times and improve participation in the scheme.

A place-based response to regional disadvantage

The new approach forms part of a broader Joint Work Program intended to improve NDIS performance across Western Australia. It focuses specifically on regional and remote areas where participants have historically struggled to access therapy and support services.

Authorities say the model recognises that people outside metropolitan areas face unique barriers, including workforce shortages, travel distances and limited provider choice. The initiative is designed to tailor solutions to each region rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all national model.

The statewide rollout follows a $7.9 million pilot in Katanning, a town about 285 kilometres south of Perth. According to officials, that trial successfully increased local engagement with the NDIS and helped establish services that had previously been unavailable in the area.

Five regions included in first phase

Under the expansion, the program will be introduced across five key regions:

• South West

• Great Southern

• Goldfields-Esperance

• Gascoyne

• Wheatbelt

Each location will move through an 18-month cycle covering establishment, rollout and transition phases.

The staged approach is intended to allow governments to test what works in different communities and adjust the model before further expansion.

Fly-in fly-out workforce to bridge gaps

A central feature of the strategy is the use of fly-in fly-out (FIFO) allied health professionals. Provider Flight2Health has been commissioned to deliver clinicians into regional communities where local workforces are too small to meet demand.

The company’s model reverses the traditional burden placed on families. Instead of requiring participants to travel long distances to metropolitan centres, clinicians travel to the communities where support is needed.

Flight2Health chief executive Kennedy Lay said geography should not determine the quality of disability care available to Australians.

He emphasised that the goal is to ensure equitable access regardless of postcode, explaining that the program effectively brings small teams of specialists to large regional populations rather than forcing hundreds of patients to seek help in the city.

Strong demand for face-to-face services

Local advocates and families have long argued that in-person therapy remains critical, particularly for children and people with complex needs. While telehealth expanded during the pandemic, many participants say it cannot fully replace hands-on supports such as occupational therapy, speech pathology and physiotherapy.

Regional participants often face significant travel costs and logistical hurdles when services are only available in Perth or other major centres. The new model aims to reduce these pressures by embedding visiting clinicians within communities on a regular basis.

Supporters say this could also help build local capacity over time by mentoring regional workers and encouraging professionals to relocate permanently.

Questions raised about Kimberley exclusion

Despite broad support for the initiative, some advocates have expressed concern that the Kimberley region has not been included in the initial rollout. The area has one of the highest proportions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residents in Western Australia and has historically faced major service access challenges.

Critics argue that excluding the Kimberley risks perpetuating existing inequities in the disability system. They are calling on governments to clarify whether the region will be included in future phases.

Officials have not ruled out expansion but say the current rollout is designed to focus resources where the pilot evidence is strongest.

Addressing long-standing workforce shortages

The program comes amid ongoing concern about the availability of disability services in regional Australia. Workforce shortages have been repeatedly identified as a key barrier to NDIS access outside major cities.

Previous data has shown that participants in rural and remote areas often struggle to spend their full plan budgets because suitable providers are not available locally. In some regions, utilisation rates have been significantly lower than in metropolitan areas despite higher funding allocations.

Governments hope the new initiative will improve both access and plan utilisation by physically bringing services to communities that have been underserved.

How the 18-month rollout will work

Each participating region will move through three structured phases:

1. Establishment phase
Local needs assessments, workforce planning and community engagement will occur.

2. Service rollout
Allied health professionals will begin regular visits and service delivery.

3. Transition phase
Efforts will focus on building sustainable local capacity and integrating services into existing systems.

Officials say this staged design is intended to avoid the boom-and-bust cycle that sometimes occurs when short-term outreach programs end without leaving lasting infrastructure.

Part of broader NDIS reform efforts

The initiative sits within wider national efforts to improve the sustainability and effectiveness of the NDIS. Governments have increasingly focused on strengthening regional service markets, reducing fraud and ensuring participants can actually use the supports funded in their plans.

Western Australia has been a particular focus due to its vast geography and dispersed population, which create unique logistical challenges compared with more densely populated states.

Community response cautiously optimistic

Early reaction from the disability sector has been cautiously positive. Many providers and advocates acknowledge the urgency of improving regional access but stress that long-term success will depend on consistency and funding certainty.

Some stakeholders warn that FIFO models can struggle if visits are too infrequent or if continuity of care is disrupted by staff turnover. Others note that while visiting clinicians help in the short term, building a permanent regional workforce remains the ultimate goal.

Families in regional areas say they will be watching closely to see whether promised improvements translate into real, ongoing support.

Why regional access remains a national issue

The challenges facing Western Australia reflect broader national trends. Across Australia, regional and remote participants often experience:

• Fewer registered providers

• Longer wait times

• Higher travel costs

• Limited specialist availability

These gaps can lead to delayed diagnoses, reduced therapy intensity and poorer long-term outcomes, particularly for children requiring early intervention.

Policymakers increasingly recognise that without targeted regional strategies, the NDIS risks delivering uneven results across the country.

What success would look like

Government officials say the program will be judged on several key outcomes, including:

• Increased number of regional participants accessing services

• Higher utilisation of NDIS plan funding

• Reduced travel burden for families

• Stronger local provider markets

If the model proves effective, it could inform similar approaches in other states facing workforce shortages.

The road ahead

For now, the focus is on implementing the five-region rollout and monitoring results from the Katanning pilot expansion. Authorities have indicated that ongoing evaluation will shape future decisions about scaling the program.

Advocates stress that meaningful consultation with local communities will be essential, particularly in culturally diverse and remote areas where service models must be carefully adapted.

There is also growing pressure to ensure regions not included in the first phase — especially the Kimberley — are not left behind.

Bottom line

The new regional access initiative represents a significant attempt to close the long-standing disability service gap between metropolitan and country Western Australia. By sending allied health professionals directly into underserved communities, governments hope to make the NDIS more equitable and practical for thousands of participants.

Whether the strategy delivers lasting change will depend on consistent workforce supply, community engagement and sustained funding. For many families who have spent years travelling vast distances for basic supports, the success of this rollout could make a profound difference to daily life.