Hollie Hughes (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention) Share this | Hansard source

I'm happy to pass the call after this. Senator Steele-John, I'm sure you're sitting there with bated breath. I want to touch on the needs assessment before we move on. There are plenty of adults with permanent and lifelong disabilities that aren't going to change. There aren't going to be significant changes in their needs or their impairment if they're quadriplegic or they've got an intellectual disability—whatever it might be. Their needs are not going to change year to year, unless there's a significant change of circumstances, which is, of course, a different way of looking for a plan review.

But what's the assumption for how often participants on the scheme will need to undertake a needs assessment? Is there a timeframe for how long the needs assessment is relevant? Is it that your plan's for five years and your needs assessment covers you for five years? Or your plan was for five years, but your disability hasn't changed, so, when your plan review's up, you don't have to undergo another needs assessment; it's just a continuation.