On 10 December 2024, the Minister for Social Services, the Hon Amanda Rishworth MP, released the National Carer Strategy 2024-2034. The Strategy delivers a national agenda to support Australia’s unpaid carers and will guide how the government can improve support for carers now, and into the future.
We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank all the carers from WA who were involved in the consultations to inform the Strategy. The Strategy was informed by consultation with Carers Australia and the National Carers Network, as well as facilitated direct consultation with over 1,600 carers from diverse backgrounds, including Young Carers, First Nations Carers, LGBTQIA+ Carers, and those in remote areas.
It is a positive step towards improving awareness of carers including:
- their roles
- the impacts of supporting others
- availability of carer supports and services
“The Strategy identifies the issues and challenges that carers grapple with every day and provides a blueprint for the future,” said Carers Australia Chairperson David Quilty. “The crucial next step is to build on this important work with concrete actions that make a meaningful difference in the lives of carers.”
Unpaid carers are critical to Australia’s future; over 3 million Australians provide care and support to one or more loved ones who live with disabilities, health conditions, addiction, are frail and aged or require palliative care. Without their contributions, estimated at over $78 billion annually, our economy would collapse.
At this stage, the impact of the proposed recommendations and actions on Carers WA and the delivery of our services is not known and should become clear in the forthcoming Action Plan. We will continue to keep carers informed of these developments.
To read the full Strategy click here.
