Policy & Advocacy

We contribute research and community insights to national policy discussions on dementia prevention, culturally responsive care and healthy ageing. Our work advocates for equitable, culturally safe support for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities.

How we engage
We support policy and systems change through evidence-based submissions to inquiries, strategies and standards-setting processes, alongside recommendations to strengthen access, quality and culturally safe care.

This work is complemented by sector leadership through advisory and governance roles, and by public communication across national and multicultural media to promote culturally tailored approaches.

Recent policy contributions

• Submission to the Australian Parliament Inquiry on the Transition of the Commonwealth Home Support Program into the Support at Home program (Submission 50)

• Submission to the Productivity Commission Inquiry into Delivering Quality Care More Efficiently (Submissions & responses)

• Feedback on the NHMRC Statement on Consumer and Community Involvement in Health and Medical Research - Joint submission with the Australian Multicultural Health Collaborative (Published responses)

• Feedback on the National Plan to End the Abuse and Mistreatment of Older People 2024–2034 (Published responses)

Sector leadership
Professor Bianca Brijnath continues to provide national leadership through key sector appointments, including:

• Expert Member, Commonwealth Dementia Expert Reference Group

• Governance Committee Member, FECCA Multicultural Health Collaborative

• Board Member, Council on the Ageing (COTA) Victoria

• Executive Member, the Australian Clinical Trials Alliance - REACT Special Interest Group

Media and public engagement
Our work, including our policy and advocacy contributions, has been amplified through national and multicultural outlets, helping raise awareness of culturally tailored approaches to dementia prevention, care and healthy ageing.

Selected coverage includes: Inside Local Government, Australian Ageing Agenda, Community Care Review, Neos Kosmos, SBS, ABC, Compass, Mirage News, Medianet and The Australia Today.