Care Provider to Cease Operations Next Month in Australia

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates.

In a tough blow for thousands of Aussie families, long-running care provider Annecto has announced it will shut down services across Victoria, NSW, Queensland, and the ACT starting next month.

The decision will affect over 3,700 clients — including elderly Australians, veterans, and people with disabilities — many of whom rely on Annecto to live independently in their homes and communities. The organisation also employed more than 1,100 support workers in the past year.

Annecto, which has been operating for 70 years, says the decision to close wasn't taken lightly.

“We deeply appreciate the support of our community over all these years,” said Annecto chair Colleen Furnaletto.“This decision was not made lightly.”

The organisation pointed to a mix of changing service models and financial pressures as key reasons why they simply couldn't continue operating.

There's no firm date on when services will officially end, but the transition will begin in July. Annecto says it’s working closely with government agencies — including the Department of Health, the NDIS, and Veterans’ Affairs — to make sure clients are smoothly transferred to other providers.

The organisation started in the 1950s when a small group of families from Melbourne’s west came together with a shared vision of inclusion and community support. Over the decades, it grew into a major player in the aged care and disability sector.

As they prepare to close their doors, Furnaletto offered this message to the community:

“Above all, we want to acknowledge the trust placed in Annecto over seven decades... As we approach this next chapter, we do so with the same spirit that inspired Annecto’s beginnings — ensuring that every person has access to the support they need, delivered with dignity and respect.”

At this stage, Health and Disability Minister Mark Butler hasn’t commented on the closures — or whether the government will step in to support affected families. But with so many people impacted, some kind of response is expected soon.

Stay tuned with Aus News Lanka – the leading platform for news for Australians.