Older South Australians are likely to be disappointed by the 2025-26 State Budget, but the projected surplus, in an election year, gives hope there will be more to come.

Chief Executive COTA SA, Miranda Starke, says that “Older South Australians consistently tell us that cost of living is their main concern, and we would have liked to see more specific measures in the budget to address this for older people.”

“We are encouraged by the Treasurer’s statement that a surplus means Government has capacity to respond to community needs, such as cost-of-living support, which is very needed for older South Australians,” continues Miranda.

“We are disappointed that, once again, the State Government has overlooked the chance to bring South Australia in line with the rest of the country by providing free ambulance services for older people on the full Age Pension.

“Many older South Australians are having to make an impossible choice – weighing up the cost of calling an ambulance against the urgency of their medical needs. This is a serious problem, and we will continue to advocate until ambulance services are free for those on a full Aged Pension.”

An important funding reform missed for regional South Australians was expansion of the Patient Assistance Transport Scheme (PATS) to create a fairer system for the Fleurieu Peninsula community, home to the state’s oldest regional population.

“PATS covers journeys over 100 kilometres and the Fleurieu community, at 85 kilometres from Adelaide, is unfairly excluded by a narrow margin. Extending PATS to the Fleurieu Peninsula is the necessary next step to ensure fair and equitable access to healthcare.”

“We see the development of the new State Ageing Plan and the upcoming state election as our next opportunities to advocate on behalf of older South Australians, and we look forward to sharing our insights and recommendations with Government so that the needs of older South Australians are addressed.

“Over the coming days, we’ll be gathering insights from older South Australians through our State Budget survey to understand what this budget means to them. Their feedback and experiences will continue to guide our advocacy efforts, ensuring we focus on the issues that impact their everyday lives,” Miranda concluded.

COTA SA’s 2025-26 State Budget submission outlined four key priorities for investment to address the needs of older South Australians including cost of living pressures, access to health and wellbeing, social connections, and older South Australians living in regional SA.