Recently, the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (Department) released the exposure draft (Exposure Draft) to the new Aged Care Rules 2025 (Rules).

The Exposure Draft follows the iterative release of the draft Rules for the purpose of consultation (Consultation Drafts). The Department sought submissions on the Consultation Drafts between September 2024 to May 2025.

The Department has advised that the Exposure Draft will be the final draft of the Rules and is not subject to further consultation. Rather, the purpose of the Exposure Draft is to enable providers sufficient time to establish processes and systems prior to the commencement of the Aged Care Act 2024 (Cth) on 1 November 2025.

On 10 July 2025, the Department released a summary of key changes (Changes Guide) to the Rules made in response to public consultation, and it appears that no additional amendments of significance have been made since that release. Aside from the amendments identified in the Changes Guide, the Exposure Draft and the Consultation Drafts remain largely consistent.

While there haven't been significant changes between the Consultation Drafts and the Exposure Draft, unhelpfully for providers, the placeholder sections marked as [to be drafted] in the Consultation Drafts do not appear to have been incorporated into the Exposure Draft. As such, the full scope and operation of the Rules remains uncertain. We expect that the remaining placeholder sections will be introduced into Parliament at a later stage, potentially through transitional legislation or amendment bills.

As the aged care sector continues to undergo major reforms, our team is here to assist providers to navigate their regulatory requirements. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or we can assist you with your transition to the New Act.