The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ageing and Aged Care Council (NATSIAACC) has been given the opportunity to provide a powerful submission to the Independent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-Led Review of the Closing the Gap Agreement.

NATSIAACC highlights a critical oversight in the current framework—the complete absence of a dedicated target focused on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders and Older People. Despite their central role in cultural leadership, intergenerational knowledge, and community governance, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders and Older People remain invisible in national policy designed to uplift Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander futures.

This submission calls for immediate action to rectify this gap through the creation of a Closing the Gap target that recognises the right of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders and Older People to age with dignity, stay connected to Country and/or Island Home, and access culturally safe, community-led care.

NATSIAACC’s recommendations are clear: meaningful reform must include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders and Older People at the centre—not as an afterthought, but as a foundation.

Click here to download a copy of NATSIAACC’s Submission.