Theme 05
Care and Opportunity
$3.7B aged care, $25B hospitals, $1.2B Closing the Gap, NDIS reform redirected into Foundational Supports
Theme 05 — Care and Opportunity
Source: https://budget.gov.au/content/05-care-and-opportunity.htm
Theme 05 covers aged care, NDIS, Indigenous Australians, veterans, child and family services, and women's safety. The headline structural reform is $37.8 billion of NDIS savings over four years, redirected partly into a $5 billion Foundational Supports package matched by the states.
Hierarchy
05 Care and Opportunity
├── 5.1 NDIS reform
├── 5.2 Aged care
├── 5.3 Healthcare & Medicare (also Theme 02)
├── 5.4 Women, children and families
├── 5.5 First Nations
└── 5.6 Veterans
5.1 NDIS reform
- $37.8 billion savings over 4 years through reform of access, planning and review.
- Thriving Kids program — part of a $5 billion Foundational Supports package, to be matched by the states. Includes $2 billion as the Commonwealth share.
- Standardised functional capacity assessments and tightened reassessment criteria.
- New Framework Planning from April 2027.
5.2 Aged care — $3.7 billion
| Component | Amount | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Residential beds | $1.7 billion | Incentivises construction of up to 5,000 beds / yr |
| Dementia units | $606.5 million | Includes 20 new Specialist Dementia Care units |
| Support at Home packages | $389.8 million | Acceleration and affordability |
| Personal-care subsidies | $1 billion | Fully subsidises and removes co-contributions for services like showering |
5.3 Healthcare & Medicare
See Theme 02 §2.4:
- Hospital funding +$25B (record $220.3B / 5 years)
- Medicare Urgent Care Clinics $1.8B + $580.2M/yr (137 clinics; 4-in-5 within 20-min drive by July 2026)
- Bulk-billing incentives $11.4B — 9-in-10 GP visits bulk-billed by 2030
- New PBS listings $5.9B (incl. $449.3M RSV vaccine)
5.4 Women, children and families
| Measure | Amount |
|---|---|
| Child Support Scheme improvements | $182.6 million |
| Children and Families Support program | $171.7 million |
| Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women & children safety plan | $218.3 million |
| Paid Parental Leave | 6 months from July |
5.5 First Nations
| Measure | Amount | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Closing the Gap | $1.2 billion | Whole-of-government investment |
| Remote NT housing | $4 billion | Joint 10-year investment to halve overcrowding |
| Remote Jobs Program | $299 million | Expand from 3,000 → 6,000 jobs |
| Low-Cost Essentials Subsidy | $27.4 million | Expanded to 225 remote stores |
| Store Efficiency Package | $32.7 million | |
| Aboriginal Community-Controlled Health Services | $144.1 million | |
| Birthing on Country | $44.4 million | 1,100 mothers |
| Crisis-care expansion | $18.9 million | |
| Education outcomes | $113 million |
5.6 Veterans
- $583.4 million — implementation of Royal Commission recommendations.
- $169.7 million — allied-health services for veterans.