Media Release | 23 October 2026
Bevan Eatts MLA
Shadow Minister for Aged Care
Shadow Minister for Aged Care, Bevan Eatts MLA, has called on the Cook Labor Government to urgently provide certainty on its $100 million Aged Care Low Interest Loan Scheme, warning delays and funding uncertainty could put desperately needed aged care projects at risk across Western Australia.
While talking in Parliament this week, Mr Eatts said regional families could not afford further delays while aged care providers remained in limbo waiting for decisions on projects intended to deliver new beds and services.
“The Cook Government talks about fixing the aged care crisis, but providers are still waiting for the certainty they need to get projects moving,” Mr Eatts said.
“These facilities aren’t just buildings. They mean more aged care places, local jobs, and the ability for older Western Australians to remain close to their families and communities. Every delay risks pushing these projects further down the road at a time when demand for aged care has never been greater.”
Applications for the scheme closed in February, with final decisions originally expected by April or May. While eight providers progressed to negotiations in July, Mr Eatts said providers and communities still needed clarity on when funding would be finalised.
The Shadow Minister also raised concerns that recent Commonwealth aged care funding changes may be undermining the viability of projects seeking State support.
“Recent warnings from providers should be setting alarm bells ringing,” Mr Eatts said.
“If projects are becoming harder to stack up financially, the Government needs to know which developments are at risk and what impact that could have on the delivery of new aged care places.
“The last thing Western Australia needs is fewer aged care projects reaching the finish line.”
Mr Eatts said the consequences were particularly severe in regional communities, where a lack of aged care capacity often forced older residents away from their support networks or left them stuck in hospital because suitable care was unavailable.
“For regional families, aged care is about keeping parents and grandparents close to home, not hundreds of kilometres away from the people who care about them,” he said.
“When appropriate care isn’t available locally, families face heartbreaking decisions and older Western Australians pay the price. We need more aged care places delivered faster, and that starts with the Government providing clear answers and getting this scheme moving.”
Mr Eatts has called on the Minister for Aged Care to provide an immediate update on outstanding applications, publish a firm timetable for final decisions, and confirm whether Commonwealth funding changes are affecting the viability of projects seeking State support.
ENDS
