Care economy
Report
Extreme weather impacts: research report exploring the impacts of extreme weather events on frontline staff across care and community services
As climate risks intensify, there is a growing need to understand how extreme weather events are affecting frontline workers. This report outlines survey findings of Australian frontline staff, conducted between January and February 2026. It finds that the vast majority of frontline staff across care and community services are being impacted by extreme weather events.
Report
The Australian care industry in 2026
Australia’s care industry is the country’s largest employer and one of its fastest growing sectors. This report provides an overview of the industry’s size, structure and performance. It is designed to help businesses, policymakers and stakeholders understand how the sector is evolving, the economic and workforce pressures it faces, and implications for investment, productivity and...
Briefing paper
Issues and insights: February 2026
A collection of nine articles provides short analyses of issues that may be considered over the course of the 48th Parliament. Each article gives a high-level perspective of significant public policy issues, covering background, context and legislative history, as well as some of the policy and legislative directions raised in the public debate.
Report
Delivering quality care more efficiently: inquiry report
As the population and its needs change, the care and support economy is coming under increasing pressure to deliver high-quality services at a sustainable cost. This report proposes reforms to strengthen connections across sectors and reduce siloed decision-making, improving care quality, making services more efficient and boosting productivity.
Journal article
The interface between Australia's aged care system and the National Disability Insurance Scheme: population perspectives
Australia’s aged care and disability systems meet at age 65. Despite this boundary, people move fluidly between systems. This paper reviews the development of eligibility criteria, describes the scale and characteristics of the interface populations and analyses the patterns of service use across the age 65 boundary.