Aged care sector backs delay for major reform to the industry
Bolstering regulation, simplifying in-home care services and increasing how much wealthier retirees pay toward non-clinical services were among the key changes set to kick in on July 1.
But after months of warnings from the sector, Health Minister Mark Butler announced on Wednesday Labor was pushing the start date back by four months.
'We have been clear that we want to successfully deliver these reforms in the right way,' Mr Butler said in a joint statement with Aged Care Minister Sam Rae.
'We have received advice from the sector and experts that more time will improve the delivery of these reforms and minimise disruption.
'Following careful consideration, the government will recommend to the Governor-General ... that she proclaim the commencement of the new Aged Care Act to be 1 November 2025.
'This will allow more time for aged care providers to prepare their clients, support their workers and get their systems ready for the changes.
'It will also give us more time to finalise key operational and digital processes, and for parliament to consider supporting legislation that will enable the new act to operate effectively.'
Treasurer Jim Chalmers told reporters the delay would have a 'modest' $900m impact on Commonwealth coffers over the next four years.
The sector has welcomed the delay, with the Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) saying it switched its position in recent weeks due to concerns 'older people don't have the necessary information to make informed choices'.
'Until now, OPAN has been steadfast in its call for the Act to be implemented, as promised, on 1 July 2025, because older people can't get the aged care they need without it,' OPAN chief executive Craig Gear said.
'However, over the past weeks it has become increasingly apparent that, while the macro design of the reform is solid, older people don't have the necessary information to make informed choices at an individual level, particularly around the new Support at Home program.
'We are also concerned that the appropriate systems aren't yet in place to ensure continuity of care and services for older people during the transition.'
The Council on the Ageing (COTA) also welcomed the move.
'We wanted a 1 July start date so people didn't have to wait any longer for their rights than they already have, but ultimately, we concluded it's far more important to get it right and ensure that older people understand what will happen for them,' COTA chief executive Patricia Sparrow said.
Ms Sparrow called on the Albanese government to continue releasing 'extra packages of support for people living at home and reduce the home care package wait list even with the delayed start for the new Support at Home program'.
Meanwhile, the Coalition has blasted the delay as 'a clear admission of failure'.
'The government was warned,' opposition health spokeswoman Anne Ruston said in a statement.
'We put forward a responsible, measured amendment to ensure that their reforms could be rolled out safely and effectively, and Labor opposed it.
'The aged care sector has been crying out that the 1 July deadline was not deliverable without causing serious negative consequences.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Telegraph
10 minutes ago
- Daily Telegraph
Sydney to Hobart skipper lists North Sydney home
Sydney to Hobart sailors and yacht owners Andrew and Amber Butler listed their renovated North Sydney family home this week and received interest from 50 buyers on the first day. In between elite racing and Covid the pair transformed a 100-year-old terrace in a quiet precinct of the suburb into a luxury family home with private guest retreat and triple parking. The five-bedroom, three-bathroom home at 4 Neutral St, North Sydney close to cafes, restaurants and the new Metro has a $4.1m guide and goes to auction on August 2. MORE: Disputed Camelot sells at auction Adrian Bridges, of Atlas Lower North Shore, said North Sydney is pumping and feels like the Paddington or Woollahra of the north. 'Within 24 hours of launching the home we had 50 inquiries and I put that down to low stock and a shortage of family homes close to transport, schools and a restaurant scene,' Adrian said. Number 4 Neutral St extends back into Little Alfred St where the Butlers have created a retreat cum gym cum home office above a three-car garage. They landscaped the level garden, created an entertainer's courtyard and installed a dormer window upstairs to match the neighbour's home. 'This area is a hidden sanctuary, accessible to everything yet also a close and amazing community,' Andrew said. Andrew is a retired managing director of an energy company and now full-time dad and keen sailor. He sailed in his first Sydney to Hobart race in 2015, competed in two more in 2022 and 2024 and owns the two-handed yacht Rumchaser. This month he will also take part in the Sydney to Gold Coast ocean race. Amber is also a keen sailor and she and her team are leading the women's winter series out of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia at Darling Point. The family plans to relocate northside to a home with a pool.
News.com.au
19 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Shepperton could build a giant pear in new tourism bid
Amid the success of Australia's 'big things', such as the Big Banana and the Big Pineapple, a Victorian town is now advocating to build the biggest pear on Earth. The city of Shepparton has a proposal for a three-storey pear in the heart of the Goulburn Valley, led by The Steering Group. Rocky Varapodio, a spokesman for the group, said these sorts of attractions can 'really highlight' regional towns. 'We've been doing a lot of work on this and the background of it is that the fruit industry has really over the years talked about having a structure in the region that really symbolises and recognises fruit growing in the area,' he told Triple M. Mr Varapodio said the giant pear was about 'telling a story' about the region. 'We think the time is probably right now to recognise this industry that's given so much to this region,' he said. The Goulburn Valley is well known for its pears, with 90% of the fruit sold across the country coming from the region. Mr Varapodio explained that potentially $2 million could be generated back into the economy, from the giant pear. However, early estimates have suggested the project could cost $1.3 million, with the steering group seeking government, council and stakeholder support to fund the idea. 'The next phase is to get a structural design done because we want it to be done properly and tastefully, we want it to be a whole interactive experience when you walk into it with some really good technology such as touch screens and displays that really tell a story about this industry that's been so solid for this region,' Mr Varapodio said. 'It's hard to put a time frame on it but we would really like this to happen over the next few years.'
News.com.au
33 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Melbourne burger shop serves food for more than a dozen online restaurants
A single shopfront in Melbourne's outer suburbs serves food for 17 different restaurants being advertised on delivery apps. An eagle-eyed customer revealed in a Reddit post that the 'Burgur' venue on Berwick's main drag shared the same address as more than a dozen other offerings on Uber Eats. Some of those delivery-only shops have names which appear similar to established brands such as 'Shack Shake', 'IN OUT BUNS', 'Mad Taco' and 'Mad Mexican'. Others virtual restaurants have titles some Reddit users suggested might have been created by AI, including 'CHICKEN', 'Mr Chips Man' and simply 'Burrito'. Many of the businesses sell similar fare – variations of burgers, Mexican, ice cream, shakes and loaded fries. One local was confused about where their food was coming from after trying to attend one of the businesses, Melt Shop, only to find that the address led them to Burgur. 'We found a great shop via Uber but we wanted to check the store but it says pick-up unavailable,' she wrote on a Berwick community Facebook page. 'Does anyone know where the Melt Shop is? 'It's saying on Uber 44 High Street Berwick shop 10 but we went there it was a Burgur store and it doesn't (have) what's on the menu compared to Uber MELT Shop.' When called the store on Thursday, a staffer confirmed the shop had one kitchen and 'lots of names' on Uber. understands all of the businesses operating out of the High St venue are legitimate and compliant. Uber, in a statement, said it 'gives restaurants across Australia the flexibility to choose how they partner with us, while continuing to meet our standard requirements and community guidelines'. 'A virtual restaurant allows chefs and business owners to utilise the space they already have in their kitchens, to try cooking new cuisines and reach new customers with online-only brands,' a spokesperson said. Virtual restaurants, sometimes called ghost kitchens, have become common on online food delivery websites, and some outperform physical restaurants. Dr Andy Lee, from the University of Queensland's School of Business, said types of ghost kitchens varied – some were rented out and others were shared by multiple businesses. He said the rising reliance on online businesses was supercharged during the Covid-19 pandemic, leading to a growth in delivery-only restaurants. The model offers the ability to set up a business with less staffing and fit-out costs, and also the ability to completely change a menu or branding with ease, Dr Lee said. 'If they start their business with Italian food, but the demand is not that good, then they can change to, let's say, French cuisine if they can do it,' he said. 'But in the traditional restaurant, they cannot do it easily because they have to change their interior and they have to do the different marketing strategy.' Dr Lee said one kitchen operating under multiple names online could also create an 'illusion' that a customer was choosing between different shops. 'We just believe the food that we got from 'A' shop is going to be different from 'B' shop,' he said. 'We just don't know. There's so much anonymity behind the dish.' One Reddit user spoke about a seperate operation in the suburb of Mulgrave, saying they had stopped using Uber Eats after they 'got stung' several times. 'Ordered one of the worst burgers of my life. 'Won't buy from them again' I thought,' they said. 'Ordered from what I thought was a different burger joint a week or so later. Then watched as the driver collects from the same damn place.'
