About the initiative
The initiative brings together resources in health, aged care, disability, and veterans’ care to better support and coordinate services in rural, remote and First Nations communities.
It supports communities to:
- identify what better access to care looks like for them
- design sustainable solutions
- tailor care and support activities to local community needs.
Trials will run in up to 10 locations in communities that face a shortage of care and support services.
This initiative is part of our reforms to strengthen Medicare
Download the Integrated Care and Commissioning initiative fact sheet
Why it is important
Many Australians in rural and remote locations do not have access to adequate care and support. This includes First Nations communities, where access to culturally safe care and services is limited.
Mainstream approaches are not working for these regions, and there is a need more for collaborative, community-driven solutions.
The initiative will help to:
- promote community-led activities and explore local solutions
- create efficiencies and economies of scale by bringing together resources and systems
- share insights and lessons to help inform and enable sustainable community solutions
- build partnerships to make the most of opportunities and coordinate efforts.
Trial sites
The Integrated Care and Commissioning trial sites have started in:
- Kimberley, Western Australia
- Central West Queensland
- South-Eastern New South Wales
- Gippsland, Victoria
- Northern Tasmania – new from July 2025
- Whyalla / Port Augusta, South Australia – new from July 2025.
New trial sites
Setup of the new trial sites in Tasmania and South Australia will commence from 1 July 2025. The first priorities will be to recruit local project managers, convene local Stakeholder Advisory Groups and to establish local workplans.
Local solutions
Based on earlier consultation with communities, areas of focus for activities could include:
- workforce
- funding and pricing
- service delivery
- quality, regulation and harmonisation
- infrastructure
- access and inclusion
- digital solutions.
Solutions will be tailored to the needs of communities and providers in each site.
Examples could include:
- supporting providers to expand into aged, veterans or disability care
- establishing cross-sector coordinated funding proposals
- developing a cooperative business model with multi-skilled workers available to work across sectors.
Capacity building projects
Capacity or capability building projects are a key component of the Integrated Care and Commissioning initiative. These projects provide additional resources to address challenges identified by local communities and to build on existing strengths.
The ICC initiative can provide non-ongoing funding support that results in increased local care and support services. These capability building supports can include activities such as:
- Business or service system consultancy, e.g. to analyse current business models, identify capacity building requirements, advise on recruitment and employment systems, implement a transition plan to an integrated model including business system enhancement, provide ongoing business advice.
- Minor capital works, building upgrades and refurbishments, e.g. to assist organisations to expand their service offering and enable pooling of resources (e.g. treatment room for allied health professionals).
- Staff training and development, e.g. to create training for both jobseekers and workers who wish to expand into other care sector roles; support for administrative staff to help them navigate the different care sector systems and strengthen the organisation's financial viability.
- Communication strategies and products, e.g. establishing place-based strategies and products such as expos, round tables, or resource directories to uplift community knowledge of care.
Who we work with
The agencies working with us on this initiative are the:
- National Disability Insurance Agency
- Department of Social Services
- Department of Veterans’ Affairs
- National Indigenous Australians Agency.
Along with our partnering agencies we will continue to work in collaboration with:
- other Australian Government agencies
- local key stakeholders, including state, territory and local governments
- Primary Health Networks
- service delivery organisations.
