With an ageing population nearing crisis levels, Australia’s aged care sector can no longer afford to wait for someone else to fix the problem.

Funding shortfalls persist. Home Care Package waitlists continue to grow. Regional and rural services are buckling under the weight of outdated models and rising compliance demands.

But amid the policy inertia, real leadership is emerging – not from above, but from the ground up.

In Western Australia’s Wheatbelt and the Riverina region of New South