National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ageing & Aged Care Council

30/10/2026

A special thank you to the Partners supporting NATSIAACC’s inaugural National Conference.

Your commitment has helped make this milestone event possible, supporting a space where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders, Older People, communities and sector leaders can come together to shape the future of First Nations Ageing and Aged Care.

We are grateful to the organisations whose support will help strengthen conversations around our theme, Ageing Our Way Through Culture, Connection, and Community, and inspire meaningful action well beyond the Conference.

Thank you for coming along on this important journey with us - we look forward to seeing you all on beautiful Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country on Tuesday.

27/10/2026

❗ One Week to Go! ❗

There's still time to join us for NATSIAACC's inaugural National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ageing and Aged Care Conference on 3-4 November 2026 on Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country (Canberra).

Be part of a powerful national gathering of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders, Older People, communities, providers, policymakers and sector leaders as we come together to share knowledge, strengthen connections and help shape the future of Aged Care.

This is more than a conference. It's an opportunity to contribute to the conversations and actions that will support Elders and Older People to age with dignity, self-determination, choice and respect.

Don't miss out. Register today: https://natsiaacc.org.au/2026conference/

23/10/2026

Cultural safety should be reflected in every part of Aged Care, including the food Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders and Older People eat.

Food is more than nutrition. It can carry connection to family, community, culture, Country or Island Home, and play an important role in maintaining identity, dignity and wellbeing.

Cultural safety is determined by the Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person receiving care.

Learn more through NATSIAACC's Cultural Safety in Aged Care Definition: https://natsiaacc.org.au/cultural-safety-in-aged-care/

23/10/2026

NATSIAACC are proud to announce Shelley Ware as our Master of Ceremonies for our inaugural National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ageing and Aged Care Conference.

Shelley is a proud Yankunytjatjara, Kokatha and Wirangu woman from Tandanya/Adelaide who currently lives in Naarm/Melbourne. Shelley is a teacher, author, curriculum writer, MC and facilitator and is passionate, about embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander History and culture into classrooms and the national curriculum resources. She consults and works closely with schools and the corporate sector, teaching and upskilling staff and leadership, in Aboriginal History and Culture and creating culturally safe spaces for all to thrive. Shelley is a Lifetime Ambassador of the Indigenous Literacy Foundation and was a finalist for the 2024 NAIDOC Education award.

There’s still time to support NATSIAACC at our inaugural National Conference by securing your spot! Head to our Conference webpage to find out more: https://natsiaacc.org.au/2026conference/

20/10/2026

📣 Could you be NATSIAACC’s next Chairperson?

We’re seeking an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander leader to provide independent leadership to our Board and support our work as the national peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ageing and Aged Care.

This is an opportunity to strengthen First Nations leadership and Community Control, and help ensure the voices, rights and aspirations of Elders and Older People inform our priorities and decisions.

We welcome experience in Board leadership, governance, community leadership, Ageing and Aged Care, policy or advocacy.

The Chairperson is a voluntary role, and applicants must meet the eligibility and independence requirements outlined in the Information Pack.

📅 Applications open: 21 October 2026
📅 Applications close: 8 November 2026
🗳️ Chairperson election: 19 November 2026 at NATSIAACC’s Annual General Meeting.

Visit our website for more information and to download the Information Pack, Application Form and Member Support Letter template:

🔗 https://natsiaacc.org.au/careers/

Please share this opportunity with your networks.

20/10/2026

NATSIAACC is pleased to announce Aunty Jill Gallagher AO, CEO of Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation Inc as a confirmed speaker at the inaugural National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ageing and Aged Care Conference.

A proud Gunditjmara woman from Western Victoria, Aunty Jill has dedicated her life to advocating for and advancing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing. As CEO of the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO), she has spent more than 25 years leading change across the sector. Her significant contributions have been recognised through her induction into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women in 2009, appointment as an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2013, and induction into the Victorian Aboriginal Honour Roll in 2015.

We look forward to Aunty Jill's presentation, Culture, Dignity and Belonging, which will explore what it means to remain connected to identity, family, cultu re and community throughout the ageing journey, and why dignity and belonging must be recognised as fundamental to good care, not an addition to it.

To view the full Conference Program, available Partnership Opportunities and registration portal, visit NATSIAACC’s Conference webpage: https://natsiaacc.org.au/2026conference/

19/10/2026

🎤PANEL ANNOUNCEMENT🎤

We are pleased to announce Kim Whiteley, Gary Rake, Sonja Stewart and Kate Pope PSM as panellists for the Truth-Telling and System Accountability session at NATSIAACC’s National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ageing and Aged Care Conference.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have raised many of the same concerns about Aged Care for years. This leadership conversation will examine what happens when the evidence and voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders and Older People, communities and providers identify the need for change. The panel will explore where accountability sits, how system leaders respond to identified challenges, and what must change to ensure reform delivers better outcomes for Elders and Older People.

There’s still time to support NATSIAACC at our inaugural National Conference by securing your spot! Head to our Conference webpage to find out more: https://natsiaacc.org.au/2026conference/


Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing

15/10/2026

📣 MINISTERIAL ADDRESS 📣

NATSIAACC is pleased to announce that the Hon Senator Malarndirri McCarthy - Northern Territory, Minister for Indigenous Australians, will present a pre-recorded ministerial address at the inaugural National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ageing and Aged Care Conference.

The message will offer Senator McCarthy’s perspective on the national priorities affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders and Older People, recognising the important role Elders and Older People hold in carrying culture, knowledge and leadership within communities. It will also explore how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices and leadership can shape government priorities to improve outcomes.

We look forward to Senator McCarthy’s contribution and thank her for her support of NATSIAACC’s inaugural Conference.

With the Conference fast approaching, you can still secure your place as a delegate, Exhibitor or Partner by visiting our Conference webpage: https://natsiaacc.org.au/2026conference/

15/10/2026

NATSIAACC welcomes the Minister’s announcement of an independent review of the Aged Care assessment system.

If an assessment does not properly understand an Elder’s and Older Person’s needs, they can miss out on the care they need. That can mean struggling at home, more pressure on family, or having to leave Country or Island Home and community to get support. It can also mean withdrawing from the system altogether, only returning when they are sicker, more frail and have fewer options. That comes at a significant cost - to the Elder or Older Person, their family and the system.

We welcome Minister Rae’s commitment to including First Nations health expertise on the review’s expert advisory group. Elders’ and Older Peoples’ own experiences and First Nations Ageing and Aged Care expertise must help shape that work from the beginning. Getting assessment right is essential to ensuring Elders and Older People receive care they can trust that understands their needs and supports them to remain connected to what matters in their lives.

See the Minister's announcement here: https://www.health.gov.au/ministers/the-hon-sam-rae-mp/media/independent-expert-review-of-aged-care-assessment-tool?language=en

The Albanese Government will commission an independent review of the aged care classification and prioritisation assessment mechanisms, as the latest step in a series of refinements the Government is making to ensure older Australians can have confidence in the assessment process.

14/10/2026

To the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders, Older People, families and mob who have been removed from their accommodation, homes and places of shelter at Yissa: our thoughts are with you.

A home is more than a roof over someone's head. It supports safety, dignity and connection to family, community, culture and Country or Island Home. Displacement can disrupt these connections and access to care and support, with significant consequences for Elders and Older People.