Scrapping by Stealth - The Allan Labor Government Must Retain The Victorian Disability Worker Commission as a Stand-Alone Regulator

VICTORIA: 

The Health and Community Services Union (HACSU) remains gravely concerned about the covert dismantling of the Victorian Disability Worker Commission (VDWC) and the plan to abolish the stand-alone disability regulator. 

In the days since this appalling decision by the Allan government came to light, it has been roundly condemned by advocacy groups, the union sector and disability stakeholders alike, as seen in The Age article dated 14 November 2025. 

HACSU is aghast at the government's willingness to remove an independent disability regulator — despite this being strongly recommended by the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability (RCD) and the mountain of evidence of harm that has already occurred in the disability sector. 

By contrast, after tragic cases in the early childhood sector this year, the Allan government moved swiftly: mandatory registration for early childhood workers, and a stand-alone early-childhood regulator. Yet in the disability sector, where tragedies and horrific abuse cases have already occurred, the government is choosing inaction and deregulation. 

Instead of strengthening and supporting the existing regulatory architecture, particularly on the backdrop of extreme uncertainty for participants living in transferred group homes, the government proposes to abolish the VDWC, the Disability Worker Registration Board of Victoria, and absorb disability-specific oversight into a generic “social services” framework. Of grave concern to participants, workers, families and employers alike are the vague references to amending the Residential Tenancies Act in relation to specialist disability accommodation, particularly as the Victorian state government still own large portions of the transferred group homes.  

This is reckless and utterly unacceptable. It ignores Royal Commission recommendations, unanimous condemnation from advocacy groups, unions, and stakeholders, and risks devaluing the critical involvement of members of the VDWC board who have lived experience of disability.  

Branch Secretary Paul Healey said today, "Where was the response from the Allan government when abuse statistics emerged and when the Royal Commission made its recommendations? Why is the government acting far more decisively for the early childhood sector than for vulnerable Victorians living with disability? To put forward a Bill to establish an independent early childhood authority while in the same breath destroying the independent authority that provides oversight of the Victorian disability sector is a disgraceful instance of robbing Peter to pay Paul".   

HACSU demands that the Allan government immediately:

• Withdraw the amendments to abolish the VDWC and the Registration Board.

• Maintain a dedicated, independent disability regulator as previously legislated under the Disability Service Safeguards Act 2018.

• Bolster the funding and authorative power of the Victorian Disability Worker Commission and commit to conducting a trial of mandatory registration of disability workers with the Commonwealth.

• Commence full consultation with disability support workers, people with disability, advocates and unions before making any further changes.

• Demonstrate it takes disability safety seriously by aligning with the Royal Commission’s recommendations - not undermining them. The disability sector stands united in its condemnation of this stealth deregulation.  

Media Contact: Stephanie Thuesen M: 0436363612 E: stephaniet@hacsu.asn.au