Santo Santoro (Queensland, Liberal Party, Minister for Ageing) Share this | Hansard source

for the benefit of Senator McLucas—including 163,432 residential places. Of these residential places, 80,052 were high care and 83,380 places were low care. This is the important point which Senator Moore, with respect, I do not think will like. I am able to inform Senator Moore and the Senate that there are now at least 55,911 more operational aged care places than there were in June 1996. Of these, 26,581 are additional residential places.

The Australian government, as I have informed the Senate before, is also committed to achieving a ratio of 108 operational places per 1,000 persons aged 70 years or over, nationally, by 2007. As I suggested at the start of my answer, I and the Australian government are committed to reaching that target. At 31 December 2005 the operational ratio—which I know interests Senator McLucas, and it should interest everybody else who is fair dinkum about aged care—was 104.2 places. The Australian government will be releasing at least 8,771 places in 2006 with a further 19,913 indicator places planned for release in 2007 and 2008. This is the highest the operational ratio has been, and it should be good news for even the most mean-spirited person opposite.