BaptistCare welcomes the government’s continuing investment in the aged care, community services and housing sectors as part of this year’s federal budget, but says more is needed to keep pace with the rapidly growing demand.
As one of Australia’s largest purpose-led care organisations, BaptistCare supports tens of thousands of Australians across the country through integrated services spanning residential aged care, care at home, retirement living, housing and community programs.
BaptistCare CEO Charles Moore said he recognises the difficult fiscal context facing the federal government in delivering this budget.
He congratulated the government for its targeted investments to tackle housing accessibility, in particular, the announcement of $60 million over four years to help young people on low incomes access housing.
“We commend the government for listening and implementing policy reforms that address housing accessibility and help to unlock thousands more houses for young people struggling to get into their own home.
“Every day, our employees see the real-world impact of policy decisions and budget spending on people’s lives. Policy must be informed by the everyday Australians who are currently accessing care and services, with investment that matches the reality of what is being seen on the ground,” Mr Moore said.
“Federal budgets are about choices. This budget moves things in the right direction but there is still more to do if we are going to significantly shift the dial on the housing, mental health, domestic violence, and aged care challenges facing Australians today, and to deliver lasting change our communities will rely on in the years ahead.”
Housing and Community Services
BaptistCare said the government’s continued focus on tackling housing affordability, boosting housing supply, streamlining building approvals, and addressing homelessness is encouraging.
“Everyone deserves a safe, affordable place to live. The budget announcement of a subsidy to help more than 4,000 19-24 year olds access community housing is a clear example of government listening and responding to the evidence, helping thousands of young people most at risk of homelessness,” said Mr Moore.
Mr Moore said BaptistCare is seeing a growing number of double-income families and essential workers seeking support, and the budget reforms focussed on easing housing stress and improving housing access and fairness are long overdue.
Despite the positive measures for housing accessibility, serious gaps remain.
“BaptistCare has been calling for a lift in support payments and the remote area allowance to be indexed for some time. We remain deeply concerned that the lack of investment in these areas will mean people on the lowest incomes and those in remote communities are left further behind,” he said.
Aged Care
BaptistCare acknowledges the $3.7 billion investment in aged care, including the $1 billion to restore full funding for personal care services.
The increases to the accommodation supplement are further positive measures, but detail is lacking and the increases remain well below what is needed.
“Without more capital support, the sector is not sustainable. We will not get close to building the more than 10,000 new beds needed each year, and demand is only going up,” Mr Moore said.
BaptistCare also acknowledges the government’s commitment of more Support at Home packages, recognising the importance of supporting people to remain living independently at home for as long as possible.
“Home care works best when it is simple, flexible and focused on people. Right now, the system is becoming more complex and costly to run, while care on the ground is getting harder to deliver,” he said.
There are further details required from the Government about these additional packages, and BaptistCare looks forward to understanding this budget commitment in more detail.
It was disappointing to see no funding increases or clarity for the future of the Commonwealth Home Support Program, which is an effective, low-cost model of entry level care.
“At the heart of every budget decision are people. We see each day how the right settings can support dignity, independence and connection. While this budget has delivered some welcome reforms, the future we face together will require a long-term vision and investment,” said Mr Moore.
