Mr. Garret Doocey:

l will start with those last two questions. The accessibility consultative committee and framework was established under the national disability inclusion strategy, NDIS. It was extended for a year but then it lapsed at the end of 2022. After the last meeting of our accessibility consultative committee – there is a network of them under the NDIS framework - effectively it fell away with the lapsing of the NDIS. We look forward to engaging with our colleagues. We have already been in contact about the preparatory work for the development of the new NDIS and the re-establishment of the framework of structures, which may change - we do not know - under the auspices of the new NDIS. That is the background to that particular issue.

As I mentioned earlier, there are of course those other disability user groups at a public transport operator level and the level of the NTA that meet all the time. In the absence of the accessibility consultative committee, pending the formation of a new NDIS, we engage with persons with disabilities and representative groups anyway at a policy level and prior to the development of new policy or the examination of policy initiatives.

On the issue of boards and board representation, it is not a matter of legislation, as such, it is more a matter of discretion in terms of those persons who are appointed to a board. The board numbers set out in legislation typically just refer to a number and particular skill set that would be required on a board.