“A sad day”: Monash Council set to wrap up aged care services after 10 years of debate

The council has now entered the final 13 months it will provide in-home care for elderly residents.

Author

Matthew Sims
June 02, 2026

Monash Council has voted to cease providing in-home aged care services by next June. The council is currently the last remaining eastern suburbs council still delivering home support programs.

According to long-time councillors, the debate over keeping the service viable enough to stay afloat has lasted for more than 10 years.

But the debate on whether or not to hold on for another couple of years or bow out lasted less than 10 minutes.

✍️ What happened? On Tuesday May 26, Monash councillors voted to cease providing in-home aged care services by June 30, 2027.

  • The council has been delivering the Federal Government’s Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) for residents over 65 since 2015, including support from home, home maintenance, meal delivery, personal care and social support groups.

  • However, the Federal Government has been implementing a number of reforms, including ending the CHSP and transitioning to a new Support at Home program and funding prioritising larger and specialised providers.

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📉 A shifting system: Fewer than one in four local governments in Australia still deliver the CHSP directly, with Monash the only one left in the eastern suburbs, alongside others like Frankston, Hume and Merri-bek.

  • Monash will join other local councils to leave the program recently, including Yarra Ranges Council in June 2024 and Whitehorse Council in June 2023.

🤝 Holding on: Monash mayor Stuart James said he was “concerned” that more choice may lead to a worse standard of service delivery.

  • 🗣️ “It will be a rat race to the bottom as to who can do services for the cheapest price,” James told the gallery. “We have done everything we can to try and stay in for as long as we can. This is a sad day for me personally.”

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💰 Tight budgets: Monash councillor Josh Fergeus said the decision was “a great shame”, but was another result of cost shifting handed down by other levels of government.

  • 🗣️ “The writing’s on the wall, unfortunately, for a range of public services delivered by councils across the state,” said Fergeus. “We’re up against it.”

⏭️ What’s next? There will be no immediate impact for clients, with Monash Council aiming to oversee a smooth transition when new providers are appointed by the Federal Government.

The Eastern Melburnian has contacted Monash mayor Stuart James and councillors Josh Fergeus, Rebecca Paterson and Shane McCluskey for comment.