Ageing Australia welcomes the final passage of the amendment bills through both Houses of Parliament, which removes one of the final hurdles to successful implementation of the new Aged Care Act.
“It’s been wonderful to see all corners of the Parliament putting older Australians first with the passing of these Bills,” Ageing Australia CEO Tom Symondson said.
“Bipartisan support in politics is as rare as the Tasmanian tiger, but the looming introduction of the New Aged Care Act is a wonderful example of politicians putting older Australians ahead of politics.”
Providers are now calling on the Government to ensure the release of the final rules as soon as possible, warning time is running out before the New Act commences.
“The clock is ticking loudly, with under two months to go before the start of the New Act on November one, and with these bills passed, the last missing piece of the puzzle is the finalisation of the rules,” Ageing Australia CEO Tom Symondson said.
“These reforms are a massive undertaking. We’ve been working relentlessly for over a year to make sure we’re ready, but there are several critical things that simply cannot be done until the rules are formalised by government. Particularly crucial is the fact that homecare agreements can’t be sent out, and resident agreements can’t be finalised.”
“Everyone wants this to work, providers most of all, and with the end in sight, we need this last hurdle to be passed. That gives us the best chance of seeing these reforms succeed.”
