The Aged Care Royal Commission raised serious concerns about the lack of reliable, accessible and comprehensive data on the aged care sector. In response, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) launched the National Aged Care Data Asset (NACDA) in 2024. The NACDA brings together de-identified person-level data collected across multiple systems into a single data repository for aged care research. Its key purpose is to support a better understanding of the pathways and outcomes of older Australians across aged care, health and community service settings. The NACDA also allows transparent monitoring of the operation and performance of the aged care system overall. As at April 2026, the NACDA is being accessed in secure environments by both government and non-government researchers for 29 active projects. However, those accessing the NACDA require strong statistical skills because the data and its outputs are often large and complex. So how can we bring the value of this national resource to the wider community, particularly older Australians and aged care clients to whom the data belongs? This presentation will: (1) Provide an overview of AIHW’s current approach to stakeholder engagement and community consultation for the NACDA; (2) Outline priorities for development of the NACDA and its analytical outputs, as identified through engagement and consultation; and (3) Seek audience feedback and discussion on current and future approaches to the development of the NACDA. By getting more data into the community’s hands, the NACDA can support greater transparency, accountability and person‑centred aged care. Reference: www.gen-agedcaredata.gov.au/about-our-data/national-aged-care-data-asset