In an important milestone, the network has officially registered as a co-operative, bringing together seven small community-based aged care operators from the Murrumbidgee Local Health District with the purpose of ensuring they remain sustainable into the future, and helping locals to age in place.

One of the first shared-service, aged care co-ops in Australia, the Murrumbidgee Aged Care Network has been established in response to growing pressures on small providers, and will centralise administrative functions such as compliance, recruitment and financial reporting. 

Karen Hodgson (pictured below), Steering Committee lead and manager of aged care home Cypress View Lodge, in Coleambally, 630km west of Sydney, said, “We’re all meeting the same standards. We’re all answering to the same Commission. If our cooperative becomes an expert in this – why not help others?”

Some member providers have already begun to see reduced outsourcing costs, while others are using the additional free time to restructure operations.

The co-op has been established with the support of the Federal Government-funded Care Together program, delivered by the Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals (BCCM), which helps form co-operative care models, including for older people, people with a disability, veterans, and First Nations, in remote, rural and regional areas.

Care Together was awarded $2.4 million in the 2025-26 Federal Budget, with $7 million in total already granted to support the start-up and development of cooperatives and mutual services so far. The Murrumbidgee Aged Care Network is the only aged care co-operative under Care Together, with the other co-ops aimed at providing GP services, disability care, and workforce support. 

Back in May, Karen told SATURDAY, "We’re trying to save ourselves – but we’re also building something others can use. This could be a game changer for aged care.”