New Aged Care Act Rules consultation – Release 3 – Provider Obligations

The Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals (BCCM) welcomes the opportunity to make this submission to the Department of Health and Aged Care in response to the draft Aged Care Act Rules – Release 3.

The BCCM is the peak body for co-operatives and mutuals in Australia and is currently delivering the Care Together Program on behalf of the Department of Health and Aged Care.

The Care Together Program supports the development of innovative consumer, worker, provider and community-owned co-operative and mutual care service delivery models in regional Australia and is an important component of the broader rights-based reforms to social care policy in Australia.

The BCCM welcomes and supports the inclusion of provisions in the Aged Care Act Rules – Release 3 to exempt certain co-operative aged care providers from the requirement to have a majority independent non-executive board, as set out in rules 157-5 and 157-15.

We note that the United Nations has declared 2025 the International Year of Cooperatives and called on governments to review and enhance their regulation of co-operatives to mark the year. We congratulate the Australian Government on meeting the moment and recognising co-operatives in social care regulation for the first time.

Our comments are focused on some minor refinements to the draft rules to increase certainty for the co-operatives who will rely on the rules.

Jurisdiction: Commonwealth

Committee: Department of Health and Aged Care

Submission date: 12 March 2025