Our Submission to the National Carer Strategy Consultation

In September 2024, Carers Victoria provided a submission to the Australian Government’s public consultation process to develop a new National Carer Strategy. You can download our full submission below.

Our submission was based on the generous feedback we heard from many carers about the key issues for them, and ideas for improvement. We thank everyone who shared their views and perspectives with us.

In our submission we made the following suggestions reflecting what carers have told us are critically important:

• a set of principles which put carers front and centre in all aspects of the Strategy
• more timely and person-centred supports for carers including access to respite and peer support
• greater recognition of the diversity of carer experience
• improved system connections so that carers can navigate services more easily and quickly and get the help they need when and where they need it
• more flexible arrangements to support carers to undertake study and employment
• tackling the significant cost of living issues faced by many carers through more financial support such as concessions and carer payments.

The Australian Government is expected to release a draft National Carer Strategy for feedback later this year. Carers Victoria looks forward to continuing to play an active role in creating a National Carer Strategy that drives practical and meaningful actions to support carers in their caring roles.