Record funding to deliver better aged care in regional communities
Aged care in regional Australia is set for a major boost, with $300 million in new Government funding to build and upgrade homes, create staff housing, and deliver more beds. The biggest project will see a new 94-bed home in Broken Hill.
Artwork depicting the new aged care facility planned for Broken Hill. (Source Southern Cross Care Queensland)
The Albanese Government has announced a record $300 million investment to improve aged care in regional, rural and remote Australia, promising more beds, new homes and better access to care closer to where people live.
The funding comes through the latest round of the Aged Care Capital Assistance Program (ACCAP), which helps build and upgrade aged care facilities and provides staff housing to attract and keep workers in smaller communities. Since 2022, the Government has committed $951 million through the program.
In this new round, 66 projects will be supported, delivering 315 new or reopened aged care beds across the country. This will mean shorter waiting times for many older Australians and the chance to get care in their own community rather than travelling long distances.
A major focus is on supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Around $87 million will go towards 12 projects that aim to provide culturally safe care and services that keep people connected to Country and community.
The biggest project is in Broken Hill, where $51 million will fund a new 94-bed residential aged care home. The development will replace ageing facilities and give older people in the far west of New South Wales access to modern accommodation and services, while also creating jobs in the local community.
There is also a plan to build a new 120-bed residential home in Darwin, with the Government set to seek a provider to partner on the $60 million project from October.
Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler said the funding was about making sure older Australians “get the world-class care they deserve, wherever they live.”
