Get ageing population back on agenda: COTA

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and his new ministry need to adopt an overall strategy to deal with Australia's ageing population, an advocacy group says.

COTA Australia chief executive Ian Yates says the federal government has been "fairly silent" on the issue and hopes that will now change.

"A coherent strategy for an ageing population hasn't been on the agenda for a long time," Mr Yates told AAP.

"Some ministers have talked about the need for it in the past but we don't have one."

Mr Turnbull's new line-up has no minister for ageing.

Mr Yates says there needs to be co-ordination across social services, employment, health, housing and retirement incomes.

"That's not the same thing as just having a minister for ageing in their name. It's about having an overall strategy."