The decision to keep the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) as a standalone program has been welcomed by Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care Senator Anne Ruston, who credited sustained sector advocacy for the outcome. Speaking at the Invox CHSP National Conference 2026, she said the extension was an important opportunity to rethink how community-based support should fit into Australia’s aged care system.
Senator Ruston was highly critical of the implementation of Support at Home, arguing that the program has struggled to provide timely access to care and has been shaped too heavily around budget constraints. She also highlighted the importance of CHSP’s flexible, locally delivered model, particularly for rural, regional and remote communities where the program can be the difference between having aged care services and having none.
With CHSP now extended, Senator Ruston urged the sector to use the coming years to address unresolved issues rather than simply delay reform. She called for greater clarity around funding and provider viability, better data on waiting lists and service availability, and genuine involvement from providers, older Australians and advocates in future policy decisions.
Read the full story for Senator Ruston’s assessment of CHSP’s future and the issues she says need to be addressed next.