Govt responds to First Nations aged care report after 18-month wait
- Government response: Accepts three key First Nations recommendations
- Permanent commissioner: Legislation introduced to establish permanent role
- Investment: More than $2 billion committed since 2022
- Urgent reforms: Government notes 27 priority recommendations
The Federal Government has released its response to the Interim First Nations Aged Care Commissioner’s report, delivered in December 2024.
The 108-page report, Transforming Aged Care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island People, was written by inaugural Interim First Nations Aged Care Commissioner Andrea Kelly, based on her consultations with more than 1,000 people.
Aged Care Minister Sam Rae has recognised the work as a “landmark report”. The report makes four overarching recommendations and 27 “urgent and time sensitive” recommendations.
$2 billion invested since 2022
The Government’s seven-page response accepts or accepts “in principle” the first three recommendations.
The first recommendation was for the Government to publish the report, which it did in February 2025.
Recommendation 2 was to commit to and develop a 10-year transformation plan. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Aged Care Framework 2025-35 was published in February 2025, with a progress report against the Framework to be released later this year.
Recommendation 3 was to agree to a model for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Commissioner role. The day the response was released, the Government also introduced legislation in Parliament to establish a permanent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Aged Care Commissioner.
The Government also “noted” the 27 recommendations under Recommendation 4.
In the response, the Government said that it has invested more than $2 billion in initiatives since 2022 to support older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people access aged care that is culturally safe, or about 5% of the circa $40 billion aged care budget.
These include:
- A National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ageing and Aged Care Council (NATSIAACC) was formed in July 2023.
- 97 ACCOs Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations have been established to support older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people access aged care through the Elder Care Support program.
- The Government is undertaking a two-year pilot to identify ways to improve the assessment experience for older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
- In 2026–27, the Thin Market Grants program delivered a $2.5 million to Support at Home providers that specialise in services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
- More than $500 million is being invested over four years from 1 July 2026 in the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program (NATSIFACP), which already supports almost 2,000 aged care places across 49 services.
- The Government has invested $232 million to increase the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people working in aged care through the Indigenous Employment Initiative.
“Listening and acting”
Aged Care Minister Sam Rae said: “This response is about listening and acting on what we heard. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities told the Interim Commissioner what they need as they age. We listened, and we’re responding.”
Kelly resigned from her position in May and Jodi Cassar was appointed as Interim First Nations Aged Care Commissioner in June.
You can read the Government’s response here.
