A-Z Index | Contact the Department | Search Advanced Search

Home > Ministers > The Hon Justine Elliot MP, Minister for Ageing > Media Hub > More Than 37,000 New Aged Care Places – Over Next Three Years

View by date:

• February
  • January
  • February
  • March
  • April
  • May
  • June
  • July
  • August
  • September
  • October
  • November
  • December

• 2012
  • 2012
  • 2011
  • 2010
  • 2009
  • 2008
  • 2007
  • 2006
  • 2005
  • 2004

Previous Ministers

PDF printable version of More Than 37,000 New Aged Care Places – Over Next Three Years (PDF 43 KB)

5 November 2008

Over the next three years, the Rudd Labor Government will create more than 37,000 new aged care places.

This builds on the 221,144 aged care beds and community care places already operational.

(Of the 221,144 places, 174,669 are residential beds and 46,475 are community care places.)

In the 2008-2009 Aged Care Approvals Round (ACAR) beginning this weekend, there will be 3,026 places in Queensland, 2,994 in NSW, 2,096 in Victoria, 1,544 places in Western Australia, 288 in South Australia, 214 in ACT, 206 in Tasmania and 79 in the Northern Territory. In total, there will be 10,447 places - nationally.

Australians now have the world’s second longest life expectancy. Currently, there are some 2.8 million Australians – about 13 per cent of the population – aged 65 and over. This number is expected to triple in 40 years.

“This is about planning for Australia’s future and meeting the challenges of our nation’s ageing population,” the Minister for Ageing, Mrs Justine Elliot said today.

Over the next four years, the Australian Government will invest $41.6 billion into aged and community care. No Australian Government has invested more. The Australian Government provides on average $41,500 a year a resident in subsidies.

Last week, Mrs Elliot officially signed the documentation – Instrument to Determine the Number of Places Available for Allocation in 2008-2009.

The instrument officially:

• Starts the Aged Care Approvals Round for 2008-2009;
• Creates additional places which are available for out-of-round allocation including under the Multipurpose Service Program; and
• Creates the places for Stage One of the Zero Real Interest Loans (ZRIL) and Associated Places plan.

(In September, the Australian Government announced the offers of ZRIL loans totalling $150 million and the associated places)

The Minister for Ageing has the authority to “determine for the financial year how many places are available for allocation in each State or Territory” under Subsection 12-3(1) of the Aged Care Act.

The official invitation to apply for places, capital grants and ‘Extra Service’ status in the 2008-09 round will occur this weekend (Saturday 8 November).

The ACAR is an annual competitive assessment process that allocates new Australian Government-funded aged care places to providers who best demonstrate that they can meet the growing needs of the ageing population within their local region.

Mrs Elliot also announced the “indicative” figures for the 2009-10 and 2010-11 ACAR – allowing nursing home and community care providers to make long-term plans.

2008-09; 2009-10 and 2010-11 Aged Care places

Program	Created 2008-09	Indicative 2009-10	Indicative 2010-11	3-year total
ACAR	10,447	10,573	11,897	32,917
Zero Real Interest Loans	1,455	1,250	--	2,705
SUB TOTAL	11,902	11,823	11,897	35,622
Out-of round places, including for the Multipurpose Service Program	550	500	450	1,500
TOTAL	12,452	12,323	12,347	37,122

2008-2009 ACAR State-by-State breakdown

State or Territory	Residential	Community (CACP – Community Aged Care Package)	EACH (Extended Aged Care at Home)	EACH Dementia	Total
NSW	2,106	578	205	105	2,994
Victoria	1,486	392	146	72	2,096
Queensland	2,416	450	105	55	3,026
Western Australia	1,208	166	120	50	1,544
SA	123	101	44	20	288
Tasmania	131	52	15	8	206
ACT	169	30	10	5	214
NT	24	40	7	8	79
TOTAL	7,663	1,809	652	323	10,447

Information sessions will be conducted from Monday 10 November to Tuesday 18 November.

The 2008-2009 ACAR information sessions are scheduled in a range of places including Ballina, Coffs Harbour, Shellharbour, Sydney, Melbourne, Shepparton, Brisbane, Alice Springs, Darwin, Bunbury, Bundaberg, Cairns, Caloundra, Gold Coast, Orange, Mackay, Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, Launceston and Canberra.

The sessions will include important details on the 2008-09 application forms and the basis on which applications will be assessed. For those unable to attend, the Department of Health and Ageing will be putting all of the information material online immediately after the official invitation to apply is posted.

Decisions on aged care places are made independently by the Department of Health and Ageing. The aim of the process is to ensure that the allocation of aged care places best meets the identified needs of the community.

2008-2009 Aged Care Approvals Round timetable

• Official invitation to apply advertised in selected newspapers on November 8, 2008
• Information sessions held in capital cities and regional centres from November 10-18, 2008
• Applications from aged care providers close on December 19, 2008
• Assessments of the applications – January to May 2009
• Announcement of the ACAR – June 2009

For further information, including the locations and times of the sessions contact the Aged Care Information Line on 1800 500 853 or the state/territory office listed on www.health.gov.au/acar2008

For more information, contact Mrs Elliot's office on (02) 6277 7280