Ageing Australia National Conference 2026 Guide

The Ageing Australia National Conference 2026 runs from 24 to 26 November at ICC Sydney under the theme Together We Can. For quality, compliance and clinical governance leads, the useful question is which sessions answer a live compliance question in your service. This guide picks those out of the published program, matches them to the Commission's 2026-27 sector risk priorities and sets out how to carry the learning back into policy. The organisers can change the program, so confirm times on the conference site before you book your days.

Key Takeaways

The official program runs from Tuesday 24 to Thursday 26 November 2026, with sessions from 9am to 5pm each day and workshops and registration on the afternoon of Monday 23 November.
Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner Liz Hefren-Webb gives an address on Wednesday 25 November at 9.35am.
The Commission's four 2026-27 sector risk priorities are rights in practice, sexual safety and sexual rights, de-escalating changed behaviours and culturally safe care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and several sessions match them.
Three AI, privacy and data sessions run at the same time as three clinical governance sessions on Wednesday morning, so a team needs to split up.
Session content is the speaker's view, so check any claim against Commission or Department guidance before you change a policy.

When and where is the Ageing Australia National Conference 2026?

The conference is Ageing Australia's flagship event and runs over three days at the Sydney International Convention and Exhibition Centre, known as ICC Sydney. The registration page lists a draft schedule: workshops and registration from 2pm on Monday 23 November, then conference sessions from 9am to 5pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Evening functions include a welcome reception on Tuesday, a networking hour on Wednesday and the conference dinner on Thursday. Ageing Australia says the trade exhibition has sold out, and the registration page shows one-day, two-day and three-day options.

The conference home page names the Hon. John Howard as opening keynote, and the program has Dr Norman Swan as master of ceremonies. The first morning also lists an address from the Minister for Aged Care and Seniors and a plenary from Sonja Stewart, Deputy Secretary for Ageing and Aged Care at the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. Governa's guide to aged care peak bodies explains where Ageing Australia sits among the groups that speak for providers.

Which sessions match the Commission's sector risk priorities?

The Commission's Aged Care Quality Bulletin #8-2026 names four sector risk priorities for 2026-27. The table matches each one to sessions in the published program.

Aged care rights in practice - Sessions to consider: Rights in Action: Living the Statement of Rights Every Day (Tuesday 2.45pm, stream A3)
Sexual safety and sexual rights - Sessions to consider: Sex and Intimacy in Aged Care: Rights, Consent and SIRS (Tuesday 3.15pm, stream A3)
De-escalating changed behaviours - Sessions to consider: No session title names it. The nearest fits are the dementia capability session (Tuesday 3.15pm, stream A5) and Demystifying Dementia After Diagnosis (Wednesday 2.15pm)
Culturally safe care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples - Sessions to consider: Safer Care: Culturally Inclusive and Trauma Informed Care (Wednesday 12.15pm, stream B5) and the First Nations Ageing and Aged Care stream (Thursday from 11.20am, stream D3)

The two stream A3 sessions are the closest match for a rights-focused team. Governa's guide to the Statement of Rights and the SIRS decision support tool give you the baseline to compare against, and the sexuality and intimacy policy is the document most likely to change after the session on consent.

The program also lists the Commissioner's address on Wednesday at 9.35am. It is the one session that comes directly from the regulator, so send the person who owns your Commission correspondence.

Which sessions cover AI, data and cyber security?

Stream B4 on Wednesday, titled AI, Data and Digital Innovation, has three sessions starting at 11.15am. AI, Privacy and Governance draws practical lessons from a real incident. Adopting AI in Aged Care Without Adopting the Risk offers a path for providers. Beyond Productivity looks at agentic AI and hidden work. On Thursday at 11.20am, Six Questions Before You Approve an AI Use Case sits in the technology stream, and an optional 7am breakfast covers digital maturity and AI readiness.

Cyber and board-level security get their own slots. Closing the Security Gap runs on Tuesday at 3.15pm in stream A2, and Beyond the Breach: Cyber Governance for Aged Care Boards runs on Thursday from 11.20am in stream D2. Note that on Thursday the AI use case session and the cyber governance session start at the same time.

Bring your current inventory of AI tools and your cybersecurity and data governance policy. Governa's piece on what the regulator's own AI governance means for providers sets out the questions worth testing speakers against, and the guide to approving an AI use case pairs well with the Thursday session.

Which sessions cover clinical governance and board oversight?

Stream B6 on Wednesday is titled Clinical Governance and Quality. It has three sessions: Closing the Clinical Governance Gap in Home Care at 11.15am, Applying the New National Model for Clinical Governance to Aged Care at 11.45am, and The Board's Role in Governing High-Quality Care at 12.15pm. These run at the same time as the AI streams, so a quality lead and a digital lead cannot sit in the same room.

On Wednesday from 2.15pm, a governance and culture stream includes sessions on governance through leadership and culture and on board culture. Use them to test your own clinical governance framework policy and governance and board accountability policy against what other providers report. Governa's articles on clinical governance for boards and on governing body responsibilities give the starting position.

For residential teams, a dining session on Thursday at 12.20pm covers engaging junior staff to transform dining services. It pairs with Governa's article on Standard 6 food and nutrition one year on.

What else is worth a place in a compliance team's diary?

Support at Home providers should look at the financial sustainability and Support at Home stream on Tuesday from 2.15pm, which covers home care pricing and performance, the cost of different operating models and building viability. A compliance lead gains from hearing the commercial pressure that sits behind many quality decisions.

On the consumer side, a Wednesday session at 2.45pm, From Consultation to Influence, features the chief executive of the Older Persons Advocacy Network and two members of its National Older Persons Reference Group. It is a useful check on whether your own resident and client feedback processes reach decisions, not just a survey file. The workforce stream on Wednesday also includes a session titled Beyond Compliance: Building Workforce Capability in Aged Care at 11.45am, which suits teams reviewing their training and competency evidence.

How should a team plan the three days and report back?

Split by stream. Assign one person per concurrent session and ask each to bring back one practice, one risk and one question.
Separate claims from guidance. A speaker's view is not Commission guidance. Mark anything you want to act on as "verify" and check it against the Commission or Department site first.
Book a debrief within a week. Thirty minutes is enough to decide which policies, registers or board papers need a review date.
Record what changed. A note on what you altered because of the conference is stronger evidence of learning than an attendance certificate.

Related Resources

Common Questions About the Ageing Australia National Conference 2026

1. When is the Ageing Australia National Conference 2026?

It runs from Tuesday 24 to Thursday 26 November 2026, with workshops and registration opening on the afternoon of Monday 23 November. Sessions run from 9am to 5pm each day, with evening functions after.

2. Where is the conference held?

It is at ICC Sydney, the Sydney International Convention and Exhibition Centre on Darling Drive. Check the conference site for the latest venue and room details.

3. Who are the keynote speakers?

The Hon. John Howard opens the conference on Tuesday. Futurist Mark Pesce speaks on Wednesday morning, and Dominic Thurbon gives the closing keynote on Thursday afternoon. The program lists other plenary speakers, including Professor Rayne Stroebel from GERATEC in South Africa.

4. Can I attend for one day only?

Yes. The registration page offers one-day, two-day and three-day options, plus a group rate for three or more people from one organisation. Check the page for current prices and availability.

5. Are conference sessions the same as Commission guidance?

No. Sessions give speakers' views and case studies. Treat them as prompts, then confirm the requirement on the Commission or Department site before you change a policy or tell staff to do something differently.

Take Three Questions Home, Not Just Notes

A conference earns its cost when it changes something in your service. Before you go, write three compliance questions you want answered, such as how other providers evidence rights in practice, how they govern AI tools and how their boards see clinical risk. Take them to the sessions that match, and bring back an owner and a date for each answer.

Ageing Australia National Conference 2026: A Compliance Lead's Guide to the Sessions