Federal takeover of Queensland aged care services signals battle brewing between Rudd and Newman governments THE Federal Government has signalled plans to take over several Queensland aged-care services after intervening to save a north Brisbane care service. Minister for Ageing Jacinta Collins will on Wednesday announce a $17 million two-year funding boost for aged-care services in north Brisbane that was previously jointly funded with the State Government. In a sign of another battle brewing between the Rudd and Newman governments, Senator Collins flagged further take-overs and blamed the state for cutting funding. "It is disappointing that the Newman Government is pulling out of these services as well as residential aged care, given our rapidly ageing population," Senator Collins said. The funding fight comes as Labor plans to ramp up its attacks on the State Government over aged care and health cuts ahead of the federal election. The funding will go towards services for 3500 older people who need care in their homes in north Brisbane. Under the deal, Metro North Brisbane Medicare Local will contract eight community care providers. The plan is likely to be used as a model for federal take-overs of similar home-care services in 16 of the 17 Queensland Government Health and Hospital Services, Federal Government sources said.