Queensland disability council seats still vacant almost one year on

A key group designed to advise the Queensland government on disability-related issues has sat vacant for almost a year.The Queensland Disability Advisory Council's (QDAC) term expired last August, with the appointment of new members still being processed.Embattled Disability Minister Amanda Camm last met with the group in June 2025, according to her diaries.The advisory group was established under the 2006 Disability Services Act and consisted of 14 members with lived experience of disability and representatives from peak advocacy organisations.Under the legislation, the disability minister decides the members and has the power to dissolve the advisory committee at any time.Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) Alliance's chief executive Jeramy Hope, who is a member of the New South Wales Disability Council, said advisory groups were critical.Jeramy Hope said disability groups are critical. (ABC News: Greg Bigelow)"People with disability can be an afterthought," the NDIS participant said.He said an advisory committee allowed the disability community the opportunity to speak to state governments to have their voice, opinion, and knowledge heard.Expressions of interest had been sent to existing Queensland council members, and proposed members had been identified, Ms Camm said in a response to a question on notice in June.She said the screening process for the new members was currently progressing.Amanda Camm told the ABC she has met extensively with the disability sector throughout her time as the minister. (ABC News: Luke Bowden)The ABC understands a renewed council and terms of reference will be announced soon.The disability council met four times in the 2024-25 financial year.During those meetings, they provided advice to the minister on a range of issues such as the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), the disability royal commission and state-based agency service plans."The department actively seeks the perspectives of people with disability through the Queensland Disability Advisory Council," the latest annual report from the disability services department said.Since the council's last meeting with the minister, the federal government has announced sweeping changes to the NDIS that could see more than 240,000 people exit the scheme over four years.The Commonwealth has also announced Thriving Kids, which Queensland is the only state that has not signed up to the alternative NDIS program for some children with autism.Ms Camm told the ABC she has met extensively with the disability sector throughout her time as the minister."I have listened to the growing concern from stakeholders about the lack of information provided by the Commonwealth about long-term care arrangements, not only for young people but also for those vulnerable Queenslanders who have relied on the NDIS since it was established more than a decade ago with the intent to provide support for those in need," she said in a statement."I share the view of most Australians, who would agree the Federal Government's focus should be on weeding out the shonky operators instead of leaving vulnerable Australians to pay the price."Shadow disability services minister Leanne Enoch criticised Ms Camm and said the council had been previously instrumental in guiding disability reforms."Amanda Camm said she would always ensure the voices of those living with disabilities were heard, but instead she has silenced them.Shadow disability services minister Leanne Enoch accused her counterpart of silencing the voices of people with disability. (ABC News: Christopher Gillette)"The Minister's decision to have this council sit vacant for 12 months, particularly during a period of NDIS reform and as the government continues the state's response to the Disability Royal Commission, shows a lack of respect for the experience of people living with disabilities each and every day."If the minister has sidelined the independent advice provided by QDAC, essentially silencing the voices of people living with disability, how can the community trust the decision making of this LNP government."An 'anxious and angry' time for the communityMr Hope said advisory groups weren't tokenistic or about ticking boxes."With that diverse group, you have differences of opinion, you have differences in disability … and that makes an exciting melting pot of ideas," he said.The NSW Disability Council meets every quarter. (Supplied: NSW government)NSW's Disability Council meets four times a year, with their last meeting held in May.In that meeting, NSW Disability Inclusion Minister Kate Washington provided the council updates on Thriving Kids' rollout and recommendations from the royal commission that were being implemented.The council also discussed disability employment in the public sector and the state health department's upcoming disability inclusion action plan.Kate Washington is the NSW Families and Communities Minister. (ABC News: Jack Ailwood)Mr Hope said that the recent federal announcements had left the disability community feeling anxious and angry across the country."What we need at the moment is not just the ability to speak, but to be heard and to be understood and to have people that are willing to listen," he said.He said there needed to be advisory councils across all levels of government and communities."Roughly a third of our society identify as people with disability, and we definitely don't have that voice, and we definitely don't have that impact," Mr Hope said."We need to have opportunities and platforms for people to listen."Because if we don't, people just go back into the shell and they lose that confidence of self," he said.