What is an NDIS navigator?

Where the navigator idea came from

The NDIS Review found that people trying to use the NDIS deal with many different helpers: local area coordinators, early childhood partners, support coordinators, specialist support coordinators, community connectors, plan managers and NDIA liaison officers. Roles overlap, quality varies, and many people still have no single point of contact.

Its answer was a new navigator role: someone who works for you, helps you understand the system and helps you find and use support.

What the Review said navigators would do

The Review proposed two main types:

• General navigators: help you connect to mainstream and foundational supports and, if you are in the NDIS, find and coordinate services, use your budget well and change providers if you need to
• Specialist navigators: help participants with complex needs and particular groups who need more support

Extra help in particular situations

The Review also suggested extra navigator support for people with psychosocial disability, people who need home and living supports, and people going through key life transitions. It said navigators should be funded outside participants' budgets, so nobody has to choose between help to navigate and their other supports.

It recognised that many existing support coordinators would be well placed to move into these roles, and said the change should be introduced slowly, in close consultation with the disability community.

What the government is doing instead: the new support coordination and connection service

There is no service officially called a navigator yet. The closest current reform is the NDIS support coordination and connection service, which the government has announced will start on 1 July 2028 and replace the way participants currently receive support coordination.

Under the proposal, providers will be commissioned and funded directly, and participants will choose from those providers rather than paying for support coordination from their plan. The government consulted on the design until 2 October 2026, and the final design has not been decided.

What happens until then

• Support coordination keeps working as it does now, funded in plans, until July 2028
• Local area coordinators and early childhood partners still help with access, planning and connecting to community supports
• Since 27 August 2026 support coordinators cannot request an unscheduled reassessment for you. Only you, your nominee or your guardian can
• Foundational supports, starting with Thriving Kids, are adding help outside the NDIS, including information and help finding services

How to get navigation help now

If your plan includes support coordination, use it: a good coordinator does much of what the Review imagined a navigator would do. If not, your local area coordinator or early childhood partner is your first contact. Free independent advocates can help when you are dealing with a difficult decision, and the Disability Gateway on 1800 643 787 can point you to services outside the NDIS.