Senate Committee Recommends Passing New Aged Care Bill
16 November, 2024
The Aged Care Bill 2024 is one step closer to becoming law. While it has proposed some amendments, the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee has recommended that the bill be passed. After months of debate and public consultation, the bill has gained bipartisan support but faces additional scrutiny over its implementation and provisions.
Introduced in the House of Representatives by Aged Care Minister Anika Wells on 12 September 2024, the bill was referred to the Senate committee for review. The committee conducted nine hearings across Australia, receiving 189 submissions from stakeholders, including aged care advocates, providers, and experts. Its final report, released on 4 November 2024, urged the government to pass the legislation, while addressing a range of concerns raised during the inquiry.
Support for the Bill
The committee's majority report endorsed the bill as a meaningful response to the Aged Care Royal Commission, with strong approval to proceed.
Consistent with responses by consumer groups and aged care providers, the committee also emphasized the need for clarity and realistic timeframes when it comes to implementing the reforms.
Recommendations
Coalition senators also highlighted what they deemed "several shortcomings" of the bill and offered 32 recommendations for its improvement. These included:
Revising the start date for the Support at Home Program to ensure adequate preparation.
Establishing a clear transition path beyond 1 July 2025.
The Bill to include provisions to ensure aged care places cannot be reduced unless proven demand has decreased.
Reassessing fee caps, cleaning and gardening service restrictions, and ICT build timelines.
Quarterly reporting on aged care waitlists and application-to-service commencement times.
Next Steps
Aged care leaders, including Craig Gear of the Older Persons Advocacy Network, have urged swift action to finally pass the bill and transition older Australians into the new system.
Further, speaking at the recent ACCPA conference, Aged Care Minister Anika Wells stressed the urgency of passing the Aged Care Bill 2024 as soon as possible, emphasizing that it is crucial to lift the sector out of its current "limbo."
The bill's next steps will be closely watched.
You can read more about the bill here.
