Making Childcare More Affordable
Childcare will be more affordable for Australian families following an investment of an additional $1.7 billion as part of the 2021-22 Budget. This major investment will cut costs for around a quarter of a million families and help to remove a disincentive to take on additional work. These reforms will enable around 40,000 parents to work an extra day per week, boosting workforce participation. We are also abolishing the annual cap of $10,560, benefitting around 18,000 families. This package will help parents with more than one child return to the workforce so they can continue to progress their own careers and help grow Australia’s economy. Find out more here.
Helping Communities to Rebuild and Recover
The Prime Minister has announced the establishment of the new National Recovery and Resilience Agency to support local communities with relief and recovery efforts. The new Agency will also provide advice to the Government on policies and programs to mitigate the impact of future major disaster events. The Agency will take responsibility for supporting communities rebuilding after the recent storms and floods in New South Wales and Queensland, and the cyclones in West Australia. It will be led by Coordinator-General Shane Stone and oversee the $2 billion National Bushfire Recovery Fund. Find out more here.
Investing in our Digital Future
The Morrison Government is investing almost $1.2 billion to transform Australia into a world leading digital economy by 2030. The Digital Economy Strategy, released by the Prime Minister this week, targets investment in emerging technologies, building digital skills and enhancing Government service delivery. Key initiatives include over $100 million to support digital skills training and cadetships, a new National Artificial Intelligence Centre led by CSIRO Data 61, significant investment in myGov and My Health Record, and a Digital Games Tax Offset to support local game development. Read the Prime Minister’s release here.
Backing Clean Hydrogen in Australia
Australia’s clean hydrogen industry has received another significant boost after the Morrison Government announced three large-scale hydrogen plants in Western Australia and Victoria. Construction on the projects is being fast-tracked with the support of $103 million in conditional funding through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency. Once complete, the three new facilities will be among the largest ever built in the world and provide new employment opportunities for their regional communities. Read more here.
Affordable Insurance for Every Australian
The Morrison Government is helping to make insurance affordable for 500,000 residential and small business property owners across Northern Australia. With the establishment of a new reinsurance pool backed by a $10 billion federal government guarantee, premiums could fall by as much as $1.5 billion over 10 years. The reinsurance pool would cover cyclones and related flood damage in Northern Australia. More affordable insurance means peace-of-mind for hundreds of thousands of Australians across Northern Australia. Read more here.
Major Boost for the GP Vaccine Rollout
In a major boost to Australia’s COVID-19 vaccination program, GPs across Australia will receive up to three times the weekly number of doses of AstraZeneca from next week. Practices which have been receiving 50 doses per week, will now receive 150 doses, while those receiving 100 doses, will now receive 200 doses per week. General practice is leading the rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine to people aged 50 and over, with primary care vaccination sites having now administered more than 1.4 million vaccinations – more than half the total so far. Read more here.