2024-25 Federal Budget

2024-25 Federal Budget

17 May 2024

Introduction 

On Tuesday 14 May 2024, Treasurer the Hon Dr Jim Chalmers MP delivered the 2024-25 Federal Budget.

The 2024-25 Federal Budget is the third Budget of the Albanese Labor Government and is forecast to deliver a second straight surplus, expected to be $9.3 billion this year.

In his Budget Address on Tuesday night the Treasurer deemed the 2024-25 Federal Budget one “for the here‑and‑now and… for the decades to come”, with the centrepiece of this Budget delivering for every Australian through cost-of-living support and a Future Made in Australia.

The Albanese Labor Government’s priorities in its third Budget include:

  • Helping with the cost of living.
  • Building more homes for Australians.
  • Investing in a Future Made in Australia.
  • Strengthening Medicare and the care economy; and
  • Responsible economic management.

This Budget has been delivered amidst a range of global economic challenges, from lingering inflation to pressure on supply chains, each contributing to the cost-of-living pressures Australians continue to face.

In response to these challenges, the 2024-25 Federal Budget includes a range of measures to relieve cost of living pressures including a tax cut for every taxpayer; power bill relief; freezes on the cost of medicines; making student loans fairer; boosting competition in the economy; and supporting renters.

In addition to providing support to Australians now, the Albanese Labor Government also outlined its plan for a Future Made in Australia through a $22.7 billion package to transform our economy as the world embarks on the energy transition to achieve net zero by 2050.

The core components of a Future Made in Australia include attracting investment in key industries; supporting Australia to be a renewable energy superpower; strengthening our defence capabilities and economic security; supporting small business to participate in the opportunities of our transforming economy; and expanding and reforming universities and vocational education for a more skilled workforce.

The 2024-25 Federal Budget seeks to strike a balance between dealing with the inflationary challenges of the present while implementing a plan to build an economy for the future.

The 2024-25 Federal Budget can be found here.

The Treasurers Budget Address can be found here.

Budget Outlook  

The 2024-25 Federal Budget is projected to deliver a second straight surplus, expected to be $9.3 billion this year, and if delivered, that will be the first time in almost two decades that back-to-back surpluses have been achieved. However, given conservative economic forecasts it is currently projected that there will be a deficit of $28.3 billion in 2024-25.

Despite this, the Budget is still $215 billion stronger over the 6 years to 2027-28 compared to when Labor first came to government almost three years ago.

Gross debt is now expected to peak at 35.2 per cent of GDP in 2026-27 before declining to 30.2 per cent by 2034-35.

When the Albanese Labor Government came to office gross debt was at one trillion dollars. In just under three years it is expected to reach $904 billion, having decreased by $152 billion.

Budget aggregates

The Government has found $27.9 billion in savings and reprioritisations in this Budget and $77.4 billion since the election.

Whilst global economic challenges linger, Treasury is estimating that inflation could return to its target this financial year due to the Albanese Labor Government’s cost of living policies.

Major economic parameters

The 2024-25 Federal Budget delivers measures to ease cost of living pressure and a Future Made in Australia, all underpinned by the Government’s fiscal framework.

2024-25 Federal Budget Commitments 
Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Australia’s International Climate Change Engagement

  • $76.2 million over five years from 2023–24 to support Australia’s continued engagement in international climate change and energy transition issues, including through the International Energy Agency, G20 and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to bolster trade opportunities and enhance security relationships with key partners, and bid to co-host the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) in partnership with the Pacific and undertake initial planning in the event of a successful bid.

Commonwealth Leadership for a Safe Circular Economy – continuing delivery

  • $23 million in 2024–25 to continue delivery of the Government’s circular economy policy, program and legislative functions.

Harnessing the Energy Transition to Benefit Consumers

  • $47.7 million over four years from 2024–25 (and $0.7 million per year ongoing) to maximise consumer and community benefits of the energy transition. Funding includes:
    • $27.7 million over four years from 2024–25 (and $0.7 million per year ongoing) to implement priority consumer energy resources reforms that help consumers save on bills by boosting the supply of renewable electricity to the grid from rooftop solar, home batteries and other consumer energy resources.
    • $16.6 million over four years from 2024–25 (including $1.7 million in capital funding in 2024–25) for the Australian Energy Regulator to help households get onto a better plan.

Improving the Australian Carbon Credit Unit Scheme

  • $48 million over four years from 2024–25 to implement further reforms to the Australian Carbon Credit Unit scheme.

Murray-Darling Basin Plan

  • $27 million in 2024–25 to expand the existing Resilient Rivers Water Infrastructure Program to enable the Commonwealth to work with private proponents on water recovery activities.

National Water Grid Fund

  • The Government will provide $174.6 million over six years from 2024–25 to deliver new water infrastructure projects, including:
    • $119.6 million over six years from 2024–25 for five construction projects.
    • $26.1 million over three years from 2024–25 for 11 First Nations water infrastructure projects, including ten construction projects and one business case.

Nature Positive Plan

  • $40.9 million over two years from 2024–25 to continue implementing the Nature Positive Plan: better for the environment, better for business (Nature Positive Plan). The additional funding in this measure includes:
    • $17.6 million over two years from 2024–25 for the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water to establish and commence operation of the Nature Repair Market.
    • $14 million over two years from 2024–25 for the Clean Energy Regulator to administer the Nature Repair Market once open for participation.

Regional cooperation initiative on carbon sequestration

  • $32.6 million over four years from 2024–25 to establish regulatory frameworks and bilateral instruments to better support heavy industry to reduce emissions to meet Paris Agreement commitments, both in Australia and overseas.

Sustaining Water Functions

  • $262.2 million over five years from 2023–24 to support the Australian Government’s water policy functions, including:
    • $217.3 million over four years from 2024–25 for the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water to extend terminating funding for core water policy functions and to provide resources to enable the delivery of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
    • $32 million over four years from 2024–25 to extend the terminating Improving Great Artesian Basin Drought Resilience program to deliver water-saving projects and improve water security in the region.
Cross Portfolio

Australian Universities Accord – tertiary education system reforms

  • $1.1 billion over five years from 2023–24 (and an additional $2.7 billion from 2028–29 to 2034–35) for the first stage of reforms to Australia’s tertiary education system in response to the Australian Universities Accord Final Report. These reforms will boost equity and access to higher education, progress tertiary harmonisation and will support a target of 80 per cent of the working age population holding a tertiary qualification by 2050. Funding includes:
    • $427.4 million over four years from 2024–25 (and an additional $1.2 billion from 2028–29 to 2034–35) to establish a new Commonwealth Prac Payment of $319.5 per week (benchmarked to the single Austudy rate) from 1 July 2025 for tertiary students undertaking supervised mandatory placements as part of their nursing (including midwifery), teaching or social work studies.
    • $350.3 million over four years from 2024–25 (and an additional $1.1 billion from 2028–29 to 2034–35) to expand access to university enabling and preparation programs through a new FEE-FREE Uni Ready Courses program from 1 January 2025.
    • $239.7 million over five years from 2023–24 (and an additional $250.5 million from 2028–29 to 2034–35) to limit the indexation of the Higher Education Loan Program (and other student loans) debt to the lower of either the Consumer Price Index or the Wage Price Index, effective from 1 June 2023, subject to the passage of legislation. This applies retrospectively and is estimated to reduce outstanding loans by around $3.0 billion.

Future Made in Australia – Attracting Investment in Key Industries

  • $68.0 million over four years from 2024–25 (and $3.1 million per year ongoing) to attract investment in key industries to support a Future Made in Australia. Funding includes:
    • $54.7 million over two years from 2024–25 to administer, coordinate and promote the Government’s Future Made in Australia agenda, including the development of legislation that establishes a National Interest Framework and consultation with industry, investors and major stakeholders on the development of a ‘single front door’ that improves the attraction and facilitation of major investment proposals.
    • $11.4 million over four years from 2024–25 (and $3.1 million per year ongoing from 2028–29) to establish and manage a domestic National Interest Account with Export Finance Australia, supporting domestic projects in the national interest, consistent with the Future Made in Australia National Interest Framework.

Future Made in Australia – Investing in Innovation, Science and Digital Capabilities

  • $1.7 billion funding over ten years from 2024–25 for investments in innovation, science and digital capabilities to support a Future Made in Australia. Funding includes:
    • $566.1 million over ten years from 2024–25 (and an average of $111.8 million per year from 2034–35 to 2058–59) for Geoscience Australia to map Australia’s national groundwater systems and resource endowments to increase industry investment and identify potential discoveries of all current critical minerals and strategic materials. This extends the terminating Exploring for the Future program, reshaping it as the Resourcing Australia’s Prosperity program.
    • 466.4 million for a financing package of equity and loans provided by Export Finance Australia on the National Interest Account to PsiQuantum Pty Ltd to support the construction and operation of quantum computing capabilities and associated investment in industry and research development in Brisbane, as part of a joint investment with the Queensland Government. Additional funding of $27.7 million over 11 years from 2023–24 will also be provided for the Department of Finance, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Department of Industry, Science and Resources and the Department of the Treasury to manage and provide oversight of this investment. The financial implications of the financing package are not for publication (nfp) due to commercial sensitivities.
    • $448.7 million over 11 years from 2023–24 (and an average of $43.2 million per year ongoing from 2034–35) establish Australia’s partnership with the United States on the next generation of the Landsat satellite earth observation program (Landsat Next).
    • $145.4 million over two years from 2024–25 to maintain the National Measurement Institute’s core scientific measurement and ICT capabilities and to support current site operations and future planning.

Future Made in Australia – Making Australia a Renewable Energy Superpower

  • $19.7 billion over ten years from 2024–25 to accelerate investment in Future Made in Australia priority industries, including renewable hydrogen, green metals, low carbon liquid fuels, refining and processing of critical minerals and manufacturing of clean energy technologies including in solar and battery supply chains. Funding will catalyse clean energy supply chains and support Australia to become a renewable energy superpower. Funding includes:
    • An estimated $7.1 billion over 11 years from 2023–24 (and an average of $1.5 billion per year from 2034-35 to 2040-41) to support refining and processing of critical minerals, including:
      • A Critical Minerals Production Tax Incentive from 2027-28 to 2040-41 to support downstream refining and processing of Australia’s 31 critical minerals to improve supply chain resilience, at an estimated cost to the budget of $7.0 billion over 11 years from 2023–24 (and an average of $1.5 billion per year from 2034-35 to 2040-41).
      • $10.2 million in 2024-25 for pre-feasibility studies for critical mineral common-user processing facilities in partnership with state and territory governments to enhance Australia’s capacity to process critical minerals, sovereign capability and economic resilience.
    • $8.0 billion over ten years from 2024-25 (and an average of $1.2 billion per year from 2034-35 to 2040-41) to support the production of renewable hydrogen, including:
      • A Hydrogen Production Tax Incentive from 2027-28 to 2040-41 to producers of renewable hydrogen to support the growth of a competitive hydrogen industry and Australia’s decarbonisation, at an estimated cost to the budget of $6.7 billion over ten years from 2024-25 (and an average of $1.1 billion per year from 2034-35 to 2040-41).
      • $1.3 billion over ten years from 2024-25 (and an average of $151.6 million per year from 2034-35 to 2038-39) for an additional round of the Hydrogen Headstart program to bridge the green premium for early-mover renewable hydrogen projects.
      • $17.1 million over four years from 2024-25 (and an additional $2.5 million in 2028-29) to deliver the 2024 National Hydrogen Strategy, including hydrogen infrastructure planning, social license and industry safety training and regulation.
    • $1.5 billion over seven years from 2027-28 (and an average of $125.0 million per year from 2034-35 to 2036-37) to the Australian Renewable Energy Agency to supercharge ARENA’s core investments in renewable energy and related technologies, including for the development, demonstration, commercialisation, manufacture and deployment of renewable energy technologies that will help make Australia a renewable energy superpower.
    • $1.7 billion over ten years from 2024-25 for the Future Made in Australia Innovation Fund, to be administered by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, to support innovation, commercialisation, pilot and demonstration projects and early stage development in priority sectors, including renewable hydrogen, green metals, low carbon liquid fuels and clean energy technology manufacturing such as batteries.
    • $1.4 billion over 11 years from 2023-24 (and $66.8 million per year from 2034-35 to 2036-37) to support manufacturing of clean energy technologies, including:
      • $835.6 million over ten years from 2024-25 (and $66.8 million per year from 2034-35 to 2036-37) to establish the Solar Sunshot program administered by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency to promote the development of solar manufacturing capabilities, and improve the industry’s supply chain resilience through production incentives and other forms of support.
      • $549.0 million over eight years from 2023-24 to support battery manufacturing, including:
        • $523.2 million over seven years from 2024-25 to establish the Battery Breakthrough Initiative, administered by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, to promote the development of battery manufacturing capabilities through production incentives targeted at the highest value opportunities in the supply chain.
        • $20.3 million over five years from 2023-24 for the Powering Australia Industry Growth Centre and the Future Battery Industries Cooperative Research Centre to enhance industry and research collaboration, including workforce training for battery research, manufacturing, transport and recycling.
        • $5.6 million in 2024-25 to support delivery of the Australian Made Battery Manufacturing Precinct to drive battery manufacturing in Australia.
    • $20.9 million over four years from 2024-25 (and $1.2 million per year ongoing) to undertake further consultation on incentives to support the production of, and demand for, low carbon liquid fuels, as well as the development of a low carbon liquid fuels certification scheme through the Guarantee of Origin Scheme.
    • $18.1 million over six years from 2024-25 for foundational initiatives to expedite the emergence of Australia’s green metals industry, including through enhanced industry and research collaboration, exploration of opportunities to improve the use of Australian scrap metal and undertaking of further consultation on incentives to support the production of green iron, steel, alumina and aluminum.
    • $11.4 million over four years from 2024-25 (and $1.1 million per year ongoing) to fast track the initial phase of the Guarantee of Origin Scheme for green hydrogen and bring forward work on green metals, including iron, steel and aluminium.
  • $1.2 billion in strategic investments in priority critical minerals projects including up to $655 million under the Critical Minerals Facility and up to $400 million through the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility. This includes financing to support the Alpha HPA alumina project in Queensland and Arafura Rare Earth’s Nolans Rare Earth project in the Northern Territory.

Future Made in Australia – Strengthening Approvals Processes

  • $182.7 million over eight years from 2023-24 (and $4.5 million ongoing from 2031-32) to strengthen approval processes to support the delivery of the Government’s Future Made in Australia agenda, including Australia’s transition to a net zero economy. Funding includes:
    • $96.6 million over four years from 2023-24 for the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water to strengthen environmental approvals for renewable energy, transmission, and critical minerals projects, deliver additional regional plans, and undertake targeted scientific studies to improve the environmental data used in decision-making.
    • $20.7 million over seven years from 2024-25 (and $0.4 million per year ongoing from 2031-32) to improve community engagement and social licence outcomes through permanent establishment of the Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner, development of voluntary national developer standards with the support of the Clean Energy Regulator, and the development of a regulatory reform package to realise community benefits in regional communities affected by the energy transition.

Future Made in Australia – Workforce and Trade Partnerships for Renewable Energy Superpower Industries

  • $218.4 million over eight years from 2023-24 (and $1.3 million per year ongoing) to support a Future Made in Australia through the development of a skilled and diverse workforce and trade partnerships. Funding includes:
    • $91.0 million over five years from 2023-24 (and an additional $0.6 million over three years from 2028-29) to support the development of the clean energy workforce, including through addressing vocational education and training sector trainer workforce shortages, and funding new and existing training facility upgrades across a range of clean energy occupations.
    • $55.6 million over four years from 2024-25 to establish the Building Women’s Careers program to drive structural and systemic change in work and training environments. The program will fund partnerships between training providers, community organisations, employers, and unions to improve women’s access to flexible, safe and inclusive work and training opportunities in traditionally male-dominated industries of national priority, including clean energy sectors.
    • $38.2 million over eight years from 2023-24 (and $1.3 million per year ongoing) to provide funding for a range of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programs to increase diversity in STEM education and industries.

Housing Support

  • The Government will provide additional funding to build more homes for Australians sooner, invest in more housing enabling infrastructure, train more construction workers and support social and affordable housing and homelessness services. Funding includes:
    • $423.1 million over five years from 2024-25 in additional funding to support the provision of social housing and homelessness services by states and territories under a new National Agreement on Social Housing and Homelessness. The additional funding will increase annual funding under the new agreement to $1.8 billion per year from 2024-25, with over $9.28 billion provided to states and territories over the life of the agreement.
    • $1.0 billion in 2023-24 for states and territories to support enabling infrastructure for new housing through a new Housing Support Program – Priority Works Stream
  • supporting more community housing providers to access finance through the Affordable Housing Bond Aggregator by increasing the cap on the Government’s guarantee of Housing Australia’s liabilities by $2.5 billion to $10.0 billion, with an associated increase in the line of credit that supports the Affordable Housing Bond Aggregator of $3.0 billion to $4.0 billion.
  • $88.8 million over three years from 2024-25 to support 20,000 new fee-free training places, including increased access to pre-apprenticeship programs, in courses relevant to the construction sector and delivered through TAFEs and industry registered training organisations.
  • $19.7 million over six years from 2024-25 to support housing research, fast-track feasibility studies on the release of Commonwealth land to support social and affordable housing and maintain Treasury’s capability to develop, advise on and implement housing policy and programs.
  • In addition, the Government will:
    • target the $1.0 billion for social housing under the National Housing Infrastructure Facility in the 2023-24 MYEFO towards crisis and transitional accommodation for women and children fleeing domestic violence, and youth, including redistributing the mix of concessional loans and grants to increase the proportion of grants to $700 million.
    • provide $1.9 billion in concessional finance to support community housing providers to deliver social and affordable housing under the Housing Australia Future Fund and the National Housing Accord.
Health and Aged Care

Health Workforce

  • $116.2 million over five years from 2023–24 to strengthen and support the health workforce. Funding includes:
    • $90 million over three years from 2023–24 to fund the implementation of the health-related recommendations of the Independent Review of Australia’s regulatory settings relating to overseas health practitioners (the Kruk Review) to grow and support the health workforce. This funding is a component of the $1.2 billion package of Strengthening Medicare measures agreed at the National Cabinet in December 2023 and has been developed in consultation with the states and territories.

Improving Aged Care Support

  • $2.2 billion over five years from 2023–24 to deliver key aged care reforms and to continue to implement recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. Funding includes:
    • $1.2 billion over five years from 2023–24 for sustainment of, and essential enhancements to, critical aged care digital systems so they remain legislatively compliant and contemporary and can support the introduction of the new Aged Care Act from 1 July 2025.
    • $531.4 million in 2024–25 to release 24,100 additional home care packages in 2024–25.
    • $174.5 million over two years from 2024–25 to fund the ICT infrastructure needed to implement the new Support at Home Program and Single Assessment System from 1 July 2025.
    • $110.9 million over four years from 2024–25 to increase the regulatory capability of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission as part of the Government’s response to the Final Report of the Capability Review of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, and to implement a new aged care regulatory framework from 1 July 2025.
    • $65.6 million over four years froinm 2024–25 to attract and retain aged care workers, collect more reliable data, and improve the outcomes for people receiving aged care services through existing aged care workforce programs.
    • $37.0 million over two years from 2024–25 to reduce wait times for the My Aged Care Contact Centre due to increased demand and service complexity.
    • $30.4 million over three years from 2024–25 to states and territories to continue to deliver the Specialist Dementia Care Program.
    • $21.6 million over three years from 2024–25 to extend the Home Care Workforce Support Program for an additional three years to facilitate the growth of the care and support workforce in thin markets

Medical Research

  • $1.4 billion over 13 years from 2024–25 through the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) to continue to invest in life-saving medical research in Australia, for a total commitment through the MRFF of $6.4 billion over 13 years in research funding across the following themes:
    • $377.5 million (for a total contribution of $2 billion over 10 years from 2024–25) to translate research outcomes into medical practice.
    • $411.6 million (for a total contribution of $1.6 billion over 13 years from 2024–25) to continue existing research missions and introduce two new 10-year research missions from 2027–28 for low-survival cancers and reducing health inequities. Funding includes:
      • $306 million to continue existing research missions and fund the two new missions to 2033–34.
      • $105.6 million over three years from 2034–35 to continue support for the two new missions.
  • $329.6 million (for a total contribution of $1.4 billion over 10 years from 2024–25) for patient-centred research including emerging priorities in areas such as women’s health, and supporting innovative treatments, clinical trials, and more advanced healthcare.
  • $269.6 million (for a total contribution of $1.3 billion over 10 years from 2024–25) for medical researchers to make breakthrough discoveries, develop their skills, and progress their careers in Australia.

Mental health

  • $888.1 million over 8 years from 2024–25 (and $139.8 million per year ongoing) to respond to the Better Access evaluation and to strengthen Australia’s mental health and suicide prevention system. Funding includes:
    • $588.5 million over eight years from 2024–25 (and $113.4 million per year ongoing) to establish a national low-intensity digital mental health service that is free of charge and free of the need for referral.
    • $71.7 million over four years from 2024–25 (and $24.4 million per year ongoing) to provide wrap-around care for people with severe and/or complex needs in primary care settings, through the design and delivery of mental health multidisciplinary services.
    • $35.9 million over four years from 2024–25 to extend terminating mental health measures, to enhance the delivery of mental health and suicide prevention services, and to provide greater funding certainty for service providers.
    • $29.9 million over four years from 2024–25 to uplift Head to Health services to expand access to free community-based mental health services for adults with moderate to severe mental health needs.
    • $29.7 million over three years from 2024–25 to improve child and youth mental health services through uplifting workforce capability and co-designing new models of care.

Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)

  • $3.4 billion over five years from 2023–24 for new and amended listings on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and the Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

Preventive Health

  • $514.8 million over four years from 2024–25 to support preventive and other health initiatives. Funding includes:
    • $303.9 million over two years from 2024–25 to ensure the National Medical Stockpile can continue to respond to health emergencies and improve pandemic preparedness.
    • $55.3 million over three years from 2024–25 to maintain the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre which is Australia’s centre of excellence for health disaster response.
    • $41.6 million over two years from 2024–25 to continue support for the Good Sports Program, an alcohol management program for community sporting clubs, alcohol and other drugs treatment services in areas of identified need, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder diagnostic and support services in remote and rural regions.

Securing Cheaper Medicines

  • $480.2 million over five years from 2023–24 to reduce patient costs and improve access to medicines. Funding includes:
    • $318.0 million over five years from 2023–24 (and an additional $166.4 million in 2028–29) as part of the Eighth Community Pharmacy Agreement for:
      • PBS general co-payments to not be indexed between 1 January 2025 and 31 December 2025 (inclusive), with indexation resuming on 1 January 2026.
      • PBS concessional co-payments to not be indexed between 1 January 2025 and 31 December 2029 (inclusive), with indexation resuming on 1 January 2030.

The $1 optional discount available on patient co-payments for subsidised prescriptions will be reduced each year by the relevant notional indexation amount until the $1 discount has been reduced from $1 to zero.

  • $151.1 million over five years from 2023–24 (and an additional $45.6 million in 2028–29), as part of the Eighth Community Pharmacy Agreement to increase the Dose Administration Aids cap to 90 per week.

Strengthening Medicare

  • $1.2 billion over five years from 2023–24 ($14.8 million
    per year ongoing) to strengthen Medicare by supporting earlier discharge from hospital for older Australians, improving access to essential services, modernising Australia’s digital health infrastructure and ensuring the integrity and compliance of Medicare.
  • Funding to support older Australians through earlier discharge from hospital includes:
    • $610.4 million over four years from 2024–25 for states and territories to invest in initiatives that address long stay older patient challenges, unique to each jurisdiction.
    • $190.0 million over three years from 2025–26 for the extension and redesign of the Commonwealth’s Transition Care Programme to provide short-term care of up to 12 weeks for older people after a hospital stay.
    • $56.8 million over five years from 2023–24 for the expansion of the Commonwealth’s successful Acute to Residential Care Transition Service dementia program to transition long-stay patients with behavioural psychological symptoms of dementia out of hospital into a residential aged care home.
  • Funding to improve access to essential health services includes:
    • $73.8 million over three years from 2024–25 to support the Royal Flying Doctor Service to deliver essential services to people living in remote communities through access to primary care, aeromedical evacuations and dental health services.
    • $47.5 million over four years from 2024–25 (and $14.1 million per year ongoing) to expand Healthdirect Australia to provide national and state‐based virtual health services to assist consumers access the most appropriate care.
  • Funding to support the financial sustainability of general practices, modernise Australia’s digital health infrastructure, and improve the integrity and compliance of Medicare includes:
    • $57.4 million over two years from 2024–25 to extend Practice Incentive Program Quality Improvement incentive payments for an additional year to 30 June 2025.
    • $57.4 million in 2024–25 to continue initiatives under the Health Delivery Modernisation Program and to update My Health Record.

Strengthening Medicare – Medicare Urgent Care Clinics

  • $227.0 million over three years from 2023–24 to boost the capacity of Medicare Urgent Care Clinics. This will include a further 29 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics across Australia, which will take the total number of Medicare Urgent Care Clinics to 87. The Government is also providing additional support to clinics in regional and rural Australia.

Strengthening Medicare – an effective and clinically appropriate Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS)

  • $895.6 million over four years from 2024–25 to ensure the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) remains clinically appropriate and reflects modern medical practices. Funding includes:
    • $335.7 million over four years from 2024–25 to introduce two new permanent items on the MBS for Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) pathology testing for COVID-19 and other respiratory pathogens.
    • $200.2 million over four years from 2024–25 to improve primary health care and clinical practice through amendments to items on the MBS, including:
      • $56.5 million over four years from 2024–25 to promote high-quality and tailored maternity care by implementing recommendations from the MBS Review Taskforce, for participating midwives.
      • $49.1 million over four years from 2024–25 for gynecology consultations of 45 minutes or longer with patients who have complex conditions such as endometriosis and pelvic pain.
      • $33.7 million over four years from 2024–25 to introduce a new MBS item to provide positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging for the assessment of treatment response and recurrence for patients with an eligible rare or uncommon cancer type.
  • $174.1 million over three years from 2025–26 to introduce indexation for labor-intensive pathology services, including pregnancy and infertility testing, immunology, and tissue pathology.
  • $92.8 million over four years from 2024–25 to improve the viability of nuclear medicine imaging through a targeted schedule fee increase and reintroducing annual indexation, in line with other diagnostic imaging arrangements.
  • $69.8 million over four years from 2024–25 to remove the barriers to accessing Medicare rebates for MRI machines in metropolitan areas to reduce waiting times and costs for patients.

Women’s Health

  • $56.1 million over four years from 2024–25 (and $0.4 million per year ongoing) to improve access to sexual and reproductive healthcare for women in Australia across the life-course, including support for women’s health services on miscarriages, pre-term or early-term births, stillbirths, early pregnancy and menopause.
Social Services

A Higher Rate of JobSeeker Payment for Participants with a Partial Capacity to Work (0-14 hours)

  • $41.2 million over five years from 2023–24 (and $7.0 million per year ongoing from 2028–29) to extend eligibility for the existing higher rate of JobSeeker payment to single recipients with a partial capacity to work of zero to 14 hours per week from 20 September 2024.

Carer Payment

  • $18.6 million over five years from 2023–24 (and $3.1 million per year ongoing) to support Carer Payment recipients through increased flexibility to undertake work, study and volunteering activities.

Commonwealth Government-Funded Paid Parental Leave

  • $1.1 billion over five years from 2023–24 (and $0.6 billion per year ongoing) to strengthen Australia’s government-funded Paid Parental Leave (PPL) scheme and improve women’s retirement outcomes. Funding includes:
    • $1.1 billion over four years from 2024–25 (and $0.6 billion per year ongoing) to pay superannuation on Commonwealth government-funded PPL for births and adoptions on or after 1 July 2025. Eligible parents will receive an additional payment based on the Superannuation Guarantee (12 per cent of their PPL payments), as a contribution to their superannuation fund.

Commonwealth Rent Assistance – increase the maximum rates

  • $1.9 billion over five years from 2023–24 (and $0.5 billion per year ongoing from 2028–29) to increase all Commonwealth Rent Assistance maximum rates by 10 per cent from 20 September 2024 to help address rental affordability challenges for recipients.

Disability Employment Services Reform

  • $253.6 million over five years from 2023–24 (and $19.0 million per year ongoing) to reform employment services and supports for people with disability. Funding includes:
    • $227.6 million over five years from 2023–24 (and $11.4 million per year ongoing) to implement a new specialist disability employment program to replace the existing Disability Employment Services program by 1 July 2025.
    • $23.3 million over four years from 2024–25 (and $7.6 million per year ongoing) to establish a Disability Employment Centre of Excellence.

Financial Wellbeing and Capability Activity

  • $138.0 million over five years from 2023–24 (and $35.4 million per year ongoing) to boost support for Australians in financial distress or experiencing financial hardship and to build financial resilience, through additional funding to the Financial Wellbeing and Capability Activity. The activity will also be restructured to operate under two streams of support: Financial Capability and Resilience and Financial Crisis Response and Recovery. Funding includes:
    • $114.8 million over five years from 2023–24 (and $27.7 million per year ongoing) to support individuals and families experiencing financial distress in times of crisis and natural disasters.

National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People

  • $5.9 million over two years from 2024–25 to establish interim arrangements for the National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People (National Commissioner). From mid-2024, the interim National Commissioner will lead the establishment of an Office of the National Commissioner to act to protect and promote the rights, interests and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people.

National Disability Insurance Scheme

  • $468.7 million over five years from 2023–24 (and $37.9 million per year ongoing) to support people with disability and get the NDIS back on track. Funding includes:
    • $160.7 million over four years from 2024–25 (and $24.6 million per year ongoing) to upgrade the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission’s information technology systems, to better protect the safety of NDIS participants, reduce regulatory burden on NDIS providers, and improve cyber security.
    • $129.8 million over two years from 2023–24 for design and consultation work to respond to the findings of the Independent NDIS Review.
    • $83.9 million over two years from 2023–24 to boost fraud detecting information technology systems at the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), to further safeguard the integrity of the NDIS.
    • $45.5 million over four years from 2024–25 (and $13.3 million per year ongoing) to establish a NDIS Evidence Advisory Committee, to provide independent and transparent advice to Government on the efficacy and cost-benefits of types of supports funded by the NDIS.

Services Australia

  • $2.8 billion over five years from 2023–24 (and $144.7 million per year ongoing) to improve the way Services Australia delivers services to the Australian community. Funding includes:
    • $1.8 billion over three years from 2023–24 for additional frontline staff to help stabilise Services Australia claims backlogs and service standards, to continue emergency response capability and improve the cyber security environment.
    • $580.3 million over four years from 2024–25 (and $139.6 million per year ongoing) to sustain the myGov platform and ensure the continued development of its capability, including continuing an independent advisory board to provide guidance and advice to Government on potential myGov enhancements until 2027–28.
    • $50.0 million over four years from 2024–25 (and $5.2 million per year ongoing) for enhancements to the myGov platform to continue to respond to the findings of the Critical National Infrastructure myGov User Audit and advice from the independent advisory board, including enhancements to the myGov support tool, strengthening myGov fraud detection capabilities, improving the myGov inbox and other communication tools and supporting users to better secure their myGov accounts.
    • $314.1 million over two years from 2024–25 to continue to enhance safety and security at Services Australia centres and respond to the recommendations of the Security Risk Management Review for Services Australia, including an increased security presence, enhancements to service centre design, incident management systems and security monitoring, staff training and the progression of legislative changes to support Commonwealth frontline staff.

The Leaving Violence Program – financial support for victim-survivors of intimate partner violence

  • $925.2 million over five years from 2023–24 (and $263.3 million per year ongoing) to make permanent the Leaving Violence Program that will provide financial support, safety assessments and referrals to support services for victim-survivors leaving a violent intimate partner relationship. Funding includes:
    • $756.4 million over five years from 2023–24 (and $258.2 million per year ongoing) to establish the Leaving Violence Program (LVP) from 1 July 2025 to provide financial support of up to $5,000 (indexed annually to Wage Cost Index) and support services including risk assessments, safety planning and short-term referral services for up to 12 weeks.
    • $152.3 million over three years from 2023–24 to extend and expand the Escaping Violence Payment and the Temporary Visa Holders Experiencing Violence Pilot trials to 30 June 2025, and to continue to provide support services for a further 12 weeks beyond the pilot end date for active cases. The LVP will replace these trials.
Industry, Science and Resources

Investing in the Future of Industry and Science

  • $46.9 million over four years from 2024–25 to support the development of industries in Australia and maintain the affordability of nuclear medicines for Australians. Funding includes:
    • $25.9 million over two years from 2024–25 to the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation to continue production of affordable nuclear medicines.
    • $18.0 million in 2024–25 to continue to build the capability of the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation to undertake investments and deliver on its policy outcomes.

Supporting Safe and Responsible AI

  • $39.9 million over five years from 2023–24 for the development of policies and capability to support the adoption and use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in a safe and responsible manner, including:
    • $21.6 million over four years from 2024–25 to establish a reshaped National AI Centre (NAIC) and an AI advisory body within the Department of Industry, Science and Resources.

Supporting Safety and Responsible Decommissioning in the Offshore Resources Sector

  • $29.7 million over three years from 2023–24 to improve environmental and safety outcomes in the offshore resources sector. Funding includes:
    • $20.0 million in 2024–25 for the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority to assist its regulatory functions as the Commonwealth’s regulator of the offshore oil and gas industry and the emerging offshore energy industry.

Update on Radioactive Waste Management

  • $43.0 million over six years from 2024–25 to the Australian Radioactive Waste Agency to continue activities around identifying radioactive waste disposal pathways. Funding includes:
    • $38.8 million over two years from 2024–25 to assess options around alternative pathways for disposal of the Commonwealth’s radioactive waste.

Defence

Continuing Veterans’ Access to Health and Support Programs

  • $59.6 million over three years from 2024–25 to continue access to health and support services for veterans and their families. Funding includes:
    • $48.4 million over two years from 2024–25 to provide viability payments to providers to maintain the short-term viability of Veterans’ Home Care and Community Nursing programs.

Defence Assistance – regional and global support

  • $232.2 million over three years from 2023–24 to provide regional and global assistance and support peacekeeping activities. Funding includes:
    • $144.3 million over two years from 2023–24 to provide additional military support in response to requests from the Government of Ukraine, including:
      • $100 million in 2023–24 to support the procurement of priority military equipment through the International Fund for Ukraine and to provide uncrewed aerial systems, generators, inflatable boats, and other military equipment, with the support of Australian industry.
      • $43.5 million over two years from 2023–24 to provide Ukraine with short range air defence systems. 
    • $60.8 million in 2023–24 to expand Operation LILIA to provide Australian Defence Force logistics, security and enabling support for the 2023 Pacific Games and the 2024 Solomon Islands Joint Elections, at the invitation of the Solomon Islands.

Defence Industry Development Strategy

  • $166.2 million over five years from 2023–24 to support the implementation of the Defence Industry Development Strategy. Funding includes:
    • $165.7 million over five years from 2023–24 to establish the Defence Industry Development Grant program for the Australian defence industry.

Defence Oversight – Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence

  • $17.5 million over ten years from 2024–25 (and $1.8 million per year ongoing) to establish a new Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence.

Defence Service Homes Insurance Scheme Review

  • $0.7 million in 2024–25 to undertake a review on options for the future of the Defence Service Homes Insurance Scheme

Department of Veterans’ Affairs – additional resourcing to support service delivery

  • $194.4 million over four years from 2024–25 (and $20.6 million per year ongoing) to provide additional resourcing to meet increased service delivery pressures including claims processing and modernise the digital capability of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

2024 National Defence Strategy and Integrated Investment Program

  • $50.3 billion over ten years from 2024–25 (and $7.7 billion per year ongoing) to deliver the 2024 National Defence Strategy and Integrated Investment Program and support a shift in Defence’s force posture, structure and capability priorities. Funding includes: 
    • $1 billion over three years from 2024–25 to accelerate priority investments in the targeting enterprise, long-range fires, theatre logistics, fuel resilience and robotic and autonomous systems.
    • $11.1 billion over ten years from 2024–25 to deliver the Government’s response to the Independent Analysis of Navy’s Surface Combatant Fleet.
    • $38.2 billion over seven years from 2027–28 (and $7.7 billion per year ongoing) to support the next generation capabilities within the Integrated Investment Program.

Nuclear-Powered Submarine Program – workforce and supply chain investments

  • $101.8 million over seven years from 2024–25 to continue to build the Australian industrial workforce required to support the delivery of Australia’s conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarines. Funding includes:
    • $68.4million over seven years from 2024–25 for initiatives delivered through the new Skills and Training Academy:
      • $34.7 million over six years from 2024–25 for the Shipbuilding Employment Pathways initiative to deliver a pilot apprenticeship program in trades required to support the nuclear-powered submarine enterprise.
      • $24.4 million over seven years from 2024–25 to deliver a training program on material testing.
    • $33.5 million over six years from 2024–25 for initiatives to enhance domestic industry and workforce capacity:
      • $17.2 million in 2024–25 to expand Australian industry participation in the nuclear-powered submarine supply chain.
      • $16.3 million over six years from 2024–25 for 3,000 scholarships for students studying undergraduate STEM courses relevant to the nuclear-powered submarine enterprise.

Reform of Veterans’ Compensation Legislation

  • $222 million over four years from 2024–25 (and $83.4 million per year ongoing) to reform the legislation framework for veterans’ compensation and rehabilitation by moving to a single ongoing Act from 1 July 2026.
Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts

Building a Better Future Through Considered Infrastructure Investment

  • The Government is committed to delivering the priority road and rail infrastructure projects Australia needs via the over $120.0 billion infrastructure investment pipeline. Building on the Independent Strategic Review of the Infrastructure Investment Program, the Government is taking a more integrated, strategic and sustainable approach to infrastructure investment this Budget. Funding includes:
    • $4.1 billion over seven years from 2024–25 for 65 new priority infrastructure projects across Australia under the Infrastructure Investment Program.
    • $10.1 billion over 11 years from 2023–24 for existing projects in the Infrastructure Investment Program.
    • $1.7 billion in 2033–34 to continue existing road maintenance and safety programs.
    • $540.0 million for the Australian Rail Track Corporation to invest in the interstate rail network, including $150.0 million for the Maroona to Portland Line Upgrade.
    • $100.0 million over four years from 2025–26 for an Active Transport Fund to support the construction and upgrade of bicycle and walking paths across Australia.

First Nations Digital Inclusion

  • $68.0 million over four years from 2023–24 to support First Nations digital inclusion. Funding includes:
    • $40.0 million over four years from 2023–24 to roll out community Wi-Fi in remote communities.
    • $22.0 million over three years from 2024–25 to establish a First Nations Digital Support Hub and a network of digital mentors to increase access to online services and improve digital literacy and online safety among First Nations people.

New Vehicle Efficiency Standard Implementation

  • $154.5 million over six years from 2023–24 (and $12.6 million per year ongoing) to implement a New Vehicle Efficiency Standard to support greater choice of fuel-efficient vehicles that will reduce motoring costs and transport emissions. Funding includes:
    • $84.5 million over five years from 2024–25 (and $12.6 million per year ongoing) to establish a regulator to administer the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard, including to capture emissions data, establish a credit trading platform and undertake monitoring and compliance activities, and to undertake further work to bring Australian vehicle standards into line with those of our peers.
    • $60.0 million over four years from 2024–25 to support the installation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure at automotive businesses to support the transition to selling and servicing electric vehicles.

Revive – National Cultural Policy

  • $216.6 million over four years from 2024–25 (and $59.9 million per year ongoing) to further support Australia’s arts, entertainment and cultural sector under the National Cultural Policy – Revive. Funding includes:
    • $117.2 million over four years from 2024–25 (and $36.9 million per year ongoing) to support the operations and long-term financial sustainability of the national performing arts training organisations and Australian Film Television and Radio School.
    • $53.8 million over four years from 2024–25 (and $17.8 million per year ongoing) to establish two new First Nations language centres, increase funding for existing language centres and for community language learning to increase the number of First Nations language speakers.

Supporting Connectivity, Media and Communications

  • $78.9 million over five years from 2024–25 (and $7.4 million per year ongoing) to continue to support media sustainability and deliver communications priorities. Funding includes:
    • $43.2 million over five years from 2024–25 (and $5.9 million per year ongoing) to support the delivery of communications priorities, including responding to emerging and evolving online harms, boosting regional connectivity, digital inclusion and communications resilience.

Supporting Transport Priorities

  • $237.7 million over seven years from 2023–24 (and $2.3 million per year ongoing) to support aviation, road, rail and maritime transport priorities, including:
    • $101.9 million over five years from 2024–25 (and $0.8 million per year ongoing) to extend the Remote Airstrip Upgrade Program and the Regional Airports Program for two additional rounds, and continue the Remote Aerodrome Inspection Programme to improve aviation safety and access at remote airstrips and regional airports.
    • $78.8 million over three years from 2023–24 for the High Speed Rail Authority to undertake the development of a business case for the Sydney to Newcastle high speed rail corridor.
    • $32.0 million over six years from 2024–25 to improve the National Road Safety Data Hub and support a National Road Safety Education and Awareness Campaign.

Urban Agenda and Community Programs

  • $12.6 million over four years from 2024–25 to support the delivery of the Government’s Urban Agenda, supporting a national approach to sustainable urban development, oversight of urban renewal projects and the continued delivery of city and regional deal projects.
Employment and Workplace Relations

Australian Apprenticeships Incentive System

  • $265.1 million over four years from 2024–25 to adjust previously scheduled Phase Two Incentive System payments to provide further support for apprentices, trainees and their employers in priority occupations, while the Government undertakes the Strategic Review of the Australian Apprenticeships Incentive System.

Employment Services Reform

  • $13.2 million over five years from 2023–24 (and savings of $36.9 million per year ongoing) for improvements to the employment services system and to support future reform. Funding includes:
    • $68.6 million over five years from 2023–24 to increase resourcing for the Digital Services Contact Centre to support people using Workforce Australia Online services.
    • $32.1 million over four years from 2024–25 for the Real Jobs, Real Wages pilot providing tapered payments to employers to support wages for people at risk of long-term unemployment.
    • $21.9 million over five years from 2023–24 to provide paid employment placements through social enterprise and employer partnerships for people with high barriers to work.

Engineered Stone Import Prohibition

  • $32.1 million over two years from 2024–25 to the Australian Border Force to enforce a legislated import prohibition on engineered stone products entering Australia, to support the state and territory ban on the use, supply, and manufacture of engineered stone which will take effect in most jurisdictions from 1 July 2024, with limited exemptions for certain legacy contracts.

First Nations Prison to Employment Program

  • $76.2 million over five years from 2023–24 (and $18.7 million per year ongoing) to implement a new voluntary prison to employment transition program for First Nations people aged 15 years and over who are incarcerated with a known release date or are on remand.

Further Support for the Vocational Education and Training System

  • $26.1 million over four years from 2024–25 for the Skills and Training portfolio to contribute to a strong and effective Vocational Education and Training system, continue structural reforms, and maximise returns on previous skills and training investments and commitments.

Workplace Relations

  • The Government will provide $111.8 million over four years from 2024–25 (and $12.4 million per year ongoing) to support the progression of the Government’s workplace relations agenda. Funding includes:
    • $60 million over four years from 2024–25 to increase the Productivity, Education and Training Fund to support practical activities by employer and worker representatives to boost workplace productivity and engage in tripartite cooperation. This will also support workplaces to implement policy changes such as the introduction of payday superannuation.
    • $27.5 million over four years from 2024–25 (and $7 million per year ongoing) to enable the Office of the Fair Work Ombudsman to continue targeting non-compliance with the Fair Work Act 2009 by large corporate employers.
    • $20.5 million over four years from 2024–25 (and $5.1 million per year ongoing) to boost funding for the Office of the Fair Work Ombudsman to support.
Education    

Childcare Subsidy Reform – further measures for strong and sustainable foundations

  • $30 million over two years from 2024–25 in IT and payment services to deliver on its commitment to provide funding towards a wage increase for the Early Childhood Education and Care sector. This will support a response to Fair Work Commission processes as they relate to this sector.
  • $84.2 million over four years from 2024–25 (and $18.4 million per year ongoing) to the Department of Education to increase audits of providers in the child care sector and manage the centralised collection of child care gap fees in the Family Day Care and In Home Care sectors

Closing the Gap – Education

  • $110 million over four years from 2024–25 (and $11 million per year ongoing) to accelerate action against the National Agreement on Closing the Gap Priority Reforms in the Education portfolio and extend programs supporting education outcomes. Funding includes:
    • $32.8 million over two years from 2024–25 for the Clontarf Foundation to extend its existing program for the 2025 school year to support school engagement for at-risk First Nations young men.
    • $29.1 million over four years from 2024–25 (and $8.7 million per year ongoing) to support national First Nations peak organisations National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Corporation and SNAICC – National Voice for our Children to partner with Government on matters affecting First Nations children.
    • $27.5 million over three years from 2024–25 to extend the existing programs, Australian Indigenous Education Foundation Scholarship Program, Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership’s Indigenous Cultural Responsiveness Initiative and English Language Learning for Indigenous Children which aim to improve educational outcomes of First Nations students.
    • $18.2 million over four years from 2024–25 (and $2.2 million per year ongoing) to develop a new First Nations education policy and engage with First Nations stakeholders.

Inclusion Support Program

  • $98.4 million in 2024–25 to help childcare services increase their capacity to support inclusion of children with additional needs, through tailored support and funding to services.

School Education Support

  • $70.3 million over five years from 2023–24 to continue support for initiatives to improve education outcomes for students. Funding includes:
    • $34.6 million over four years from 2024–25 to support the Digital Technologies Hub, Mathematics Hub, Literacy Hub, Civics and Citizenship Hub, Student Wellbeing Hub, Massive Open Online Courses and Number Check, and Early Learning Languages Australia initiative to make evidence-based curriculum support and professional development materials available to all teachers and school leaders.
Prime Minister and Cabinet

Further Investment to Closing the Gap

  • $151.4 million over four years from 2024-25 (including $3.0 million in capital funding in 2024-25) to accelerate progress under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap and deliver better outcomes for First Nations peoples, including:
    • $111.1 million in 2024-25 to maintain delivery of critical services provided under the National Partnership on Northern Territory Remote Aboriginal Investment, including health, safety, wellbeing, schooling and justice services.

Net Zero Economy

  • $399.1 million over five years from 2023-24 (and an additional $616.8 million from 2028-29 to 2034-35 and $93.4 million per year ongoing) in additional resourcing for the Net Zero Economy Authority (the Authority), the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, and the Fair Work Commission to promote orderly and positive economic transformation associated with decarbonisation to ensure Australia, its regions and workers realise the benefits of the net zero economy. Funding includes:
    • $209.3 million over four years from 2024-25 (and $53.3 million per year ongoing) to expand the Authority to coordinate policy and deliver across government, broker investments that create jobs in regions, and support workers affected by the net zero transition.
    • $134.2 million over four years from 2024-25 and $377.8 million over the medium term (and $40.1 million per year ongoing from 2035-36) to provide workforce transition support for impacted workers and the broader communities affected by the net zero transition.
    • $44.4 million over four years from 2024-25 to deliver the Energy Industry Jobs Plan, to assist employees impacted by the closure of relevant coal-and gas-fired power stations to access new employment by supporting job and skills matching and providing onboarding and early retirement incentives to employers.

Northern Territory Homelands and Housing

  • $839.4 million over five years from 2023-24 (and $2.1 billion over ten years from 2024-25) to accelerate housing delivery in remote Northern Territory communities and increase investment in homelands. This will reduce overcrowding and improve housing quality, making significant progress under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. Funding includes:
    • $698.4 million over four years from 2024-25 (and $2.0 billion over ten years from 2024-25) to enter into a 10-year remote housing agreement with the Northern Territory Government to reduce overcrowding in remote Northern Territory communities. The Northern Territory Government has committed to match the Commonwealth’s remote housing investment, bringing the total investment to $4.0 billion.
    • $120.0 million over three years from 2024-25 to continue the delivery of urgent repairs and maintenance of existing housing and essential infrastructure through an extension of the Northern Territory Homelands Federation Funding Agreement.

Remote Jobs and Economic Development Program

  • $777.4 million over five years from 2023-24 (and $255.5 million per year ongoing) to establish the Remote Jobs and Economic Development Program, which will create 3,000 jobs in remote Australia and support income support recipients move into paid employment. Funding includes:
    • $536.1 million over five years from 2023-24 (and $194.3 million per year ongoing) to fund the creation of 3,000 jobs in remote Australia, through a phased roll out over three years from September 2024.
    • $188.7 million over four years from 2024-25 (and $61.2 million per year ongoing) for a Community Jobs and Business Fund, to support community development and the creation of employment opportunities through funding capital, equipment and capacity building services.
Foreign Affairs and Trade

Australia-France Enhanced Relations

  • $20.7 million over five years from 2023–24 (and $3.9 million per year ongoing) to deliver the Australia-France Roadmap. The roadmap establishes a new agenda for bilateral cooperation across defence and security, resilience and climate action, and education and culture.

Enhancing Pacific Infrastructure and Engagement

  • $206.5 million over four years from 2024–25 (and $6.9 million per year ongoing) to enhance Australia’s presence in Pacific Island countries and ability to support the Pacific family. Funding includes:
    • $160.4 million over four years from 2024–25 ($237.3 million from 2028–29 to 2033–34) for enhancement and expansion of property at Pacific posts to support a larger presence in the Pacific.
    • $40.6 million over four years from 2024–25 and $1.2 million per year ongoing from 2028–29 to relocate and expand the leased Australian Consulate General Chancery in Honolulu.

International Climate Finance

  • $150 million over four years from 2024–25 in contributions to international climate financing funds. Funding includes:
    • $100 million over three years from 2024–25 as an investment in the Pacific Resilience Facility, an initiative endorsed by the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders, to fund small scale climate and disaster resilience projects in the Pacific.
    • $50 million over two years from 2026–27 to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Green Climate Fund to assist developing countries in adaptation and mitigation practices to counter climate change.

Southeast Asia Engagement

  • $505.9 million over five years from 2023–24 (and $118.3 million per year ongoing) to deepen Australia’s engagement with Southeast Asia, including measures to implement the next phase of the Government’s response to ‘Invested: Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040’. Funding includes:
    • $229.6 million over four years from 2024–25 (and $50.2 million per year ongoing) to continue the Mekong-Australia Partnership, supporting development and resilience in the Mekong subregion.
    • $152.8 million over four years from 2024–25 (and $42.8 million per year ongoing) to continue the Partnerships for Infrastructure program, providing advice and support to Southeast Asian governments on infrastructure development.
    • $68.2 million over four years from 2024–25 (and $17.1 million per year ongoing) to continue the Marine Resources Initiative and enhance Southeast Asia maritime cooperation.
    • $33.1 million over five years from 2023–24 (and $8.2 million per year ongoing) to establish an ASEAN-Australia Centre in Canberra, deepening engagement with Southeast Asia.
  • $2 billion to establish a Southeast Asia Investment Financing Facility on the National Interest Account to increase Australia’s trade and investment in Southeast Asia.

Trade and Tourism Strategies – additional funding

  • $69.7 million over four years from 2024–25 (and $3.6 million per year ongoing) to support Australian businesses and to boost Australia’s trade, tourism, and investment opportunities. Funding includes:
    • $29.9 million over four years from 2024–25 (and $1 million per year ongoing) to establish a simplified trade system unit to continue trade simplification coordination and deliver a Digital Trade Accelerator program to improve cross-border trade by enhancing border and biosecurity risk assessments and government to business trade data sharing.
Home Affairs

Civil Maritime Critical Security Capabilities

  • $123.8 million over two years from 2023–24 to maintain and enhance Australia’s civil maritime security capabilities. Funding includes:
    • $71.2 million over two years from 2023–24 to increase the Australian Border Force’s on-water response and aerial surveillance capabilities.
    • $52.6 million over two years from 2023–24 to address the border and biosecurity threat from illegal fishing activities in Australia’s northern waters, including funding to increase the Australian Border Force and Australian Fisheries Management Authority presence in the region, and support prosecutions by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Department of Home Affairs

  • $100 million in 2024–25 to the Department of Home Affairs to support the performance of core functions including Australian Border Force operations, immigration compliance activities and sustainment of critical systems supporting those operations and services.

Disaster Support

  • $138.7 million over four years from 2024–25 (and $18.9 million per year ongoing) to improve Australia’s preparedness to respond to all-hazard disasters and resilience to natural hazards. Funding includes:
    • $73.3 million over four years from 2024–25 (and $18.9 million per year ongoing) to further uplift the National Emergency Management Agency’s capacity to support Australians before, during and following a disaster.
    • $35 million over two years from 2024–25 to support the National Aerial Firefighting Centre to bolster the national aerial firefighting fleet and to undertake a review to identify cost-effective options for long-term aerial capability.

National Security Agencies – additional funding

  • $66.3 million over four years from 2024–25 (and $17 million per year ongoing) to strengthen Australia’s ability to disrupt foreign interference and espionage threats, comprising:
    • $30.7 million over four years from 2024–25 (and $7.8 million per year ongoing) to continue the Counter Foreign Interference Taskforce, which brings together the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), the Australian Federal Police (AFP), Australian Signals Directorate, the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre, the Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation, and the Office of National Intelligence to discover, disrupt, and investigate foreign interference activity
    • $30.2 million over four years from 2024–25 (and $7.4 million per year ongoing) to the Attorney-General’s Department and $5.5 million over four years from 2024–25 (and $1.8 million per year ongoing) to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to support the work of the Taskforce, including through the prosecution of espionage and foreign interference cases, the protection of national security information in legal proceedings and foreign influence transparency policy development and reform.

Reforms to Migrant and Refugee Settlement Services

  • $120.9 million over five years from 2023–24 to improve the sustainability of settlement services and promote better economic and social outcomes for refugees and migrants. Funding includes:
    • $86.6 million over five years from 2023–24 for the Humanitarian Settlement Program to support settlement service delivery for refugees and migrants.

Tobacco – illicit tobacco compliance

  • $188.5 million over four years from 2023–24 to the Australian Border Force to deliver a coordinated multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional response to the illicit tobacco trade, in conjunction with Commonwealth, state, and territory partners.
Finance and Treasury

Digital ID

  • $288.1 million over four years from 2024–25 to support the initial delivery of the Digital ID system and support more Australians to realise Digital ID’s economic and privacy benefits. Funding includes:
    • $155.6 million over two years from 2024–25 to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) to continue operating and improving the Government’s Digital ID, myGovID, and the system which supports authorised access to a range of government business services.
    • $46.0 million over two years from 2024–25 to Services Australia to continue operating and improving the identity exchange which enables transactions across the Australian Government Digital ID System and perform the function of Digital ID System Administrator.
    • $35.2 million over two years from 2024–25 to the Department of Finance to continue policy leadership and governance of the Digital ID program.

Snowy Hydro Limited

  • $7.1 billion over four years from 2024–25 to Snowy Hydro Limited to support continued construction of Snowy 2.0. Funding includes:
    • $4.5 billion construction period loan over four years from 2024–25, provided on commercial terms and expected to be refinanced by Snowy Hydro Limited from 2029–30 onwards once Snowy 2.0 is operational.
    • $2.6 billion in equity over two years from 2024–25.

Competition Reform

  • $13.9 million over five years from 2023–24 (and $0.3 million per year ongoing) to progress competition reforms.

Cyber Security of Regulators and Improving Registers

  • $206.4 million over four years from 2024–25 (and $7.2 million per year ongoing) to improve the data capability and cyber security of the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and to continue the stabilisation of business registers and modernisation of legacy systems.

Energy Bill Relief Fund

  • $3.5 billion over three years from 2023–24 to extend and expand the Energy Bill Relief Fund to provide a $300 rebate to all Australian households and a $325 rebate to eligible small businesses on 2024–25 bills to provide cost of living relief.
Attorney-General’s

Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Reform

  • $168.0 million over four years from 2024-25 to implement reforms to strengthen Australia’s Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006, to enhance Australia’s ability to detect and disrupt illicit financing. Funding includes:
    • $160.8 million over two years from 2024-25 for the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre to expand its regulatory, intelligence and data capabilities and provide guidance to newly regulated entities.

Enhancing First Nations Justice Policy Outcomes

  • $43.1 million over four years from 2024-25 (and $3.6 million per year ongoing) to improve justice outcomes for First Nations individuals and families. Funding includes:
    • $20.2 million over four years from 2024-25 (and $3.6 million per year ongoing) to the Federal Court of Australia and the National Native Title Tribunal to preserve culturally and historically significant native title records and address the backlog of native title claims and post-determination disputes.

Establishment of the Administrative Review Tribunal and Addressing Extremely High Migration Backlogs in the Courts

  • $1.0 billion over five years from 2023-24 (with $210.8 million per year ongoing from 2028-29 and an additional $194.2 million from 2028-29 to 2035-36) to establish and support the sustainable operation of the new Administrative Review Tribunal (ART), replacing the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT), and to address court backlogs associated with high numbers of applications for judicial review of migration decisions.

National Firearms Register

$161.3 million over four years from 2024-25 to develop and implement a National Firearms Register to keep the community and frontline police officers safe, to be delivered as a joint initiative between the Commonwealth, states and territories. Once established, police will know where firearms are, who owns them, and what other risks to the community and police may exist.

National Legal Assistance Partnership

  • $44.1 million in 2024-25 to support the National Legal Assistance Partnership and Family Violence Prevention Legal Services, including one-year indexation supplementation to the funding for Legal Aid Commissions, Community Legal Centres and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services, and additional funding to reduce community legal sector pay disparity.
Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

Agriculture and Land Sectors – low emissions future

  • $63.8 million over ten years from 2024–25 (and $0.9 million per year ongoing) to support initial emission reduction efforts in the agriculture and land sectors as part of Australia’s transition to net zero by 2050.

Future Drought Fund – better support for farmers and communities to manage drought and adapt to climate change

  • $519.1 million over eight years from 2024–25 from the Future Drought Fund for initiatives that provide improved support to farmers and communities to manage drought and adapt to climate change. Funding includes:
    • $132.0 million over eight years from 2024–25 to continue the Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hubs model to support activities to address the challenges of drought and climate variability in local areas.
    • $83.2 million over five years from 2024–25 to continue the Farm Business Resilience Program to provide farmers, farm workers and advisers with access to learning and development opportunities and continue the scholarships program.
    • $67.0 million over four years from 2025–26 for the next phase of the Regional Drought Resilience Planning program, with a greater focus on implementation of activities in plans.
    • $60.3 million over six years from 2024–25 to continue and expand the Long Term Trials program to test drought and climate resilience farming practices and support the adoption of drought resilience innovations.
    • $40.0 million over six years from 2024–25 for the Resilient Landscapes program to support trials and demonstrate how natural resources management practices contribute to drought and climate resilience.
    • $37.0 million over three years from 2025–26 for the new Scaling Success program to support previously funded Future Drought Fund projects that demonstrated successful drought and climate resilience outcomes.
  • $42.2 million over four years from 2024–25 for the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to support the delivery of the Future Drought Fund initiatives.

Phase Out of Live Sheep Exports by Sea – transition support

  • $107.0 million over five years from 2024–25 for a suite of actions for sheep producers and the supply chain, market development, sheep welfare, implementation and engagement to support an orderly phase out of live sheep exports by sea, so that individuals, supply chain businesses and communities are well positioned and ready when the trade ends. Funding includes:
    • $64.6 million to assist sheep producers and the supply chain, particularly in Western Australia, to capitalise on existing and emerging opportunities so that they are well positioned when the trade ends, including for businesses to plan and implement transition actions, expansion of domestic sheep processing capacity, support for community wellbeing activities and additional rural financial counsellors.
    • $27.0 million to enhance demand within Australia and internationally for sheep products and to maintain and develop market opportunities with a range of delivery partners, including Austrade.
Further information

Further Hawker Britton Occasional Papers on the activities of the Federal Government are available here. 

For more information, please contact Hawker Britton’s Managing Director, Simon Banks on +61 419 648 587.

About the author

Simon Banks

Managing Director

Download the Paper

Be informed when news is published

Related People

Emma Webster

Director

John Jarrett

Director

Juliana Plummer

Director

Related Research & Papers