The median wait time for older Australians approved for in-home care packages has surged to 245 days, up from 118 days in 2023-24. The Productivity Commission’s data also shows the median wait for an aged care assessment rose from 22 to 27 days in 2024-25. Less than half of residential aged care services met care time targets, improving from 34% to 45.9%. As of 31 October 2025, the Department of Health and Ageing reported 266,352 people waiting for aged care support. This includes 113,150 awaiting aged care assessments, 107,281 on the National Priority System waiting for approved packages, and 45,921 awaiting simple assessments for the Commonwealth Home Support Program. Greens spokesperson Senator Penny Allman-Payne condemned the delays, saying, "This is a national shame. Eight months is far too long for someone in their 80s or 90s to have to wait for help." In disability services, over 2.3 million incidents of unauthorized restrictive practices were reported in 2024-25. These included locking people in rooms, sedation, or physical restraint, affecting 739,418 NDIS participants. Other serious reportable incidents totaled 34,104, mostly abuse, neglect, and serious injuries. Total spending on disability services reached $51.1 billion, a 5.5% increase from the previous year. In a tragic case, NSW police found the body of a 16-year-old boy in the Blue Mountains. He had gone missing during a camping trip. Despite rescue efforts, only the 17-year-old friend was saved. A post-mortem is underway. National Cabinet met in Sydney to discuss delaying a new early intervention autism program under the NDIS and budget boosts for smaller states. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also aims to finalize a costly gun buyback program, despite resistance from Queensland and the Northern Territory.