Who must comply with Aged Care Quality Standards (Aged Care Act 2024)?
The applicability test for Comply with Aged Care Quality Standards (Aged Care Act 2024) (ACQSC), computed across 35 industries, 9 business structures and 6 size bands.
Short answer: Some businesses
Applies when the business has approved aged care provider status.
What the obligation is
From 1 November 2025, providers must comply with the strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards.
The new Aged Care Act 2024, in force from 1 November 2025, embeds a rights-based Statement of Rights and strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards (7 standards). Providers must comply on commencement; the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission has expanded compliance powers including civil penalties, registered nurse 24/7 in residential aged care, and serious incident response scheme (SIRS) obligations.
The applicability test
Applies when the business has approved aged care provider status.
How the regulator frames it: Approved aged care providers (residential, home, flexible).
What triggers it: Operating an aged care service.
Jurisdiction: Commonwealth law, so the test is the same in every state and territory.
Which industries are in or out
Outcome across the 35 industries Rules Mate maps (1 of 35: yes; 34 of 35: no).
| Industry | Answer |
|---|---|
| Aged care providers | Yes |
| No | 34 other industries |
Business structure and size
Structure does not change the answer in aged care providers: for every structure the answer is "yes".
Size does not change the answer in aged care providers: at every size band the answer is "yes".
Worked examples
Each line is one run of the Rules Mate applicability engine for a single business profile, with the reason the engine gives:
- Pty Ltd company in aged care providers with 6–19 employees, turnover $1M–$3M: applies. Aged care provider.
- Pty Ltd company in real estate agents with 6–19 employees, turnover $1M–$3M: does not apply. Requires approved aged care provider status.
Answers that bring it into scope
Starting from a small or large professional services company that does not otherwise meet the test, each of these single facts changes the engine's answer:
- The business is an approved aged care provider: it then applies (approved aged care provider).
What you must do, and when
- When due
- Ongoing from 1 November 2025.
- Frequency
- Ongoing
- Evidence to keep
- Quality system documentation, audits, training, SIRS reports, RN 24/7 rosters.
- In force from
- 1 November 2025
- Status
- Current
- Priority
- Critical
Penalty for not complying
Maximum penalty: Civil penalties, sanctions, registration revocation.
Audit or assurance level
Rules Mate has not yet classified the audit or assurance level for this obligation. Any audit, review or certification requirement is set by the regulator source listed below.
Enforcement examples
- ACQSC Bupa Aged Care sanctions (2024): Even large operators face structured sanctioning when standards breached; Star Ratings + transparency drive customer churn.
- Aged Care Quality Commission sanctions — multiple providers (2023-24) (2024): Strengthened Aged Care Act compliance has teeth — RN 24/7 and care minutes are reported and audited. Sanctions are escalating.
Obligations with the same applicability test
If this obligation applies to you, so do these 4: the engine uses the same rule for each.
What usually applies alongside it
Across the 1,890 business profiles Rules Mate evaluates, these obligations apply to most of the businesses this one applies to, and are far more common among them than among businesses generally:
Where it sits in the corpus
Rules Mate tracks 8 published obligations tagged "aged care", 7 of them rated critical. For a professional services Pty Ltd company with 6–19 employees operating in every state, 0 of those apply outright. This obligation is rated critical priority, and is an ongoing duty.
Regulator, legislation and tools
Regulated by Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.
ACQSC: Aged care provider regulation under the new Aged Care Act (in force from 1 November 2025). Standards, complaints, and serious incident response.
Aged Care Act 2024: New federal aged care Act in force 1 November 2025 (replaces 1997 Act).
Free tools that help with this obligation:
Questions
- Who must comply with Aged Care Quality Standards (Aged Care Act 2024)?
- Applies when the business has approved aged care provider status.
- Do sole traders need to comply with Aged Care Quality Standards (Aged Care Act 2024)?
- Yes. Looking in aged care providers and every size band, the engine's answer for a sole trader is: yes.
- Do businesses with 1–5 employees need to comply with Aged Care Quality Standards (Aged Care Act 2024)?
- Yes (1–5 employees, turnover $100K–$1M).
- When is "Comply with Aged Care Quality Standards (Aged Care Act 2024)" due?
- Ongoing from 1 November 2025.
Related
Sources
Computed by the Rules Mate applicability engine from the published obligation corpus; facts last checked 3 October 2026. Rules Mate is not a law firm and this is general information, not legal advice. Confirm your position with the regulator source or a qualified adviser before acting.