Current consultation
We continue to engage across the entire sector on our new aged care laws. This will ensure everyone is ready for the start of the new Aged Care Act from 1 July 2025.
We will be progressively inviting feedback on some of the Rules that will be made under the new Act.
The new Act will result in major changes across the aged care system. This consultation on the Rules is a valuable opportunity for:
- everyone to better understand what these changes will mean for them
- everyone to learn how the Rules will impact older people, and the quality of care they receive
- us to ensure the Rules are refined based on feedback from the community
- us to ensure the Rules accurately represent feedback collected through previous consultation
- providers to tell us what they need to prepare for the new Act.
Timeline for Rules consultation
We are publicly releasing the Rules in four separate stages and will communicate via this page and our regular channels once the consultation period for each release opens.
Aged Care Rules consultation – topics by release
This document outlines the topics and timelines for each release of the Aged Care Rules consultation.
It explains which rules:
- are new to aged care
- will be partially or mostly new to aged care
- already exist now in aged care.
The timelines in the document are indicative only and may change.
Rules releases
Stage 2a release – Funding related to Support at Home
The Stage 2a release contains the draft Rules for Chapter 4 of the Aged Care Bill 2024. The release focuses on funding related to the new Support at Home program, it covers funding for aged care services under the program, including subsidies, individual contributions and means testing for older people.
Feedback can be submitted via the online form. Submissions will close at 5pm, 6 December 2024.
New Aged Care Act Rules consultation – Release 2a – Funding for Support at Home program
Stage 2 release – Funding of aged care services (Chapter 4)
The Stage 2 release contains the draft Rules for Chapter 4 of the Aged Care Bill 2024. Chapter 4 is about the funding of aged care services, including subsidies, contributions, means testing, accommodation and grants.
An overview of the draft Rules for Chapter 4 is available. The Rules for Chapter 4 will be released in two sub-stages:
- Stage 2a focuses on funding for Support at Home
- Stage 2b will cover the remaining Rules in Chapter 4.
You will be able to submit feedback via an online form when each stage is released.
Overview of the New Aged Care Act Rules consultation – Release 2 – Funding of aged care services (Chapter 4)
Stage 1 release – Service list
The Stage 1 consultation release contains the service list. This outlined the care and services that will be available to older people under the new laws.
Feedback was collected via an online form. Submissions closed on 31 October 2024.
We will use this feedback to refine the Rules for the new laws. We will release a summary of the submissions in November 2024.
New Aged Care Act Rules consultation – Release 1 – Service list
Previous consultation
The current consultation builds on feedback received on the foundations of the new Aged Care Act, the exposure draft of the Bill and separate consultations on related policy.
Last year, the Aged Care Taskforce conducted independent engagements to give expert advice on a range of design details, including services.
In addition, we conducted a survey in 2022, asking what aged care services should be included in the new Support at Home program. We received more than 1,700 responses from older people, their families and carers, providers and health professionals.
Much of the feedback we received in previous consultation informed the development of the new Act.
Exposure draft consultation
The feedback we received during consultation on the exposure draft of the Bill informed the development of the new Act.
During the 12-week consultation, we:
- received over 320 submissions and more than 800 surveys
- heard from more than 10,000 people at our 3 webinars, 42 workshops and 5 roundtables.
This included:
- older people, their families and carers
- aged care providers and workers
- advocates and representatives
- volunteers
- researchers
- experts
- sector peaks, associations and unions.
The feedback we received from this consultation informed the development of the new Act.
Read more about we heard during this consultation in:
Foundations consultation
During consultation on the foundations of the new Aged Care Act, we received feedback from:
- 1,330 people who attended a webinar
- more than 400 people who attended workshops and roundtables
- 291 people who responded to our survey.
This included:
- older people, their families and carers
- aged care providers
- aged care workers
- sector peak organisations.
The feedback we received from this consultation informed the development of the new Act.
Read more about what we heard during this consultation in:
Contact
Aged care legislative reform contact
