Local government aged care providers feedback

Earlier in 2025, over 200 participants from local government aged care providers and sector peak bodies shared their views on aged care changes.

Thank you to everyone who participated.

Local government aged care providers told us they:

• have stable and experienced workforces and many volunteers
• often serve as a provider of last resort in rural and remote areas or for people with complex needs​
• help older people to understand the aged care system, including referrals to other support services and programs
• have strong relationships and knowledge within their communities.

Providers raised concerns about:

• providing aged care services with different funding arrangements, including the setting and collecting of participant contributions
• increased costs and resources to deliver services in rural and remote areas and for people with complex needs
• meeting community expectations to help older people navigate the aged care system and manage their cases
• balancing local council governance and community consultation requirements, with the operational and business requirements to deliver aged care services
• attracting and retaining staff in rural and remote areas, the cost of training and registering volunteers, and offering competitive employee wages
• understanding the transition to the new aged care system and changes to provider obligations and funding.

We are considering all feedback for future policy decisions.

If you would like to provide any further feedback on the delivery of aged care services by local governments, please contact us at AgedCareMarket@health.gov.au