Category: Australian News

The 2021-22 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) underscores the importance of sticking to the plan to secure Australia’s strong recovery from the greatest economic shock since the Great Depression.
Having performed more strongly than any major advanced economy throughout the pandemic, the Australian economy is poised for strong growth underpinned by Australia’s high vaccination rate and unprecedented economic support to households and small businesses.
Real GDP is expected to grow by 4½ per cent in 2021, and by 4¼ per cent in 2022 reflecting strong and broad-based momentum in the economy and demonstrating our economic plan is working.
Income tax cuts and a strong recovery in the labour market is seeing household consumption increase at its fastest pace in more than two decades.
Temporary tax incentives will drive the strongest increase in business investment since the mining boom with non-mining investment expected to reach record levels.
Consistent with the strong economic recovery the unemployment rate is forecast to reach 4¼ per cent in the June quarter of 2023.
This would represent the first time since before the Global Financial Crisis that Australia has sustained an unemployment rate of below 5 per cent and only the second time since the early 1970s.
The rapid recovery from the Delta imposed lockdowns is expected to see the addition of around 1 million jobs between October 2021 and the end of the forecast period, which is around 150,000 more jobs than forecast in the 2021-22 Budget.
As a result, the MYEFO shows an improvement in the fiscal outlook since the 2021-22 Budget, even after accounting for the impacts of the Delta imposed lockdowns.
The underlying cash balance in 2021-22 is expected to be a deficit of $99.2 billion (4.5 per cent of GDP), a $7.4 billion improvement since the 2021-22 Budget. And $2.3 billion stronger across the forwards.
This significant improvement in the underlying cash balance occurs at the same time that tax receipts as a share of GDP are forecast to fall from 22.9 per cent in 2020-21 to 22.1 per cent in 2024-25 due, in part, to the Government’s tax reform measures that continue to grow the economy and deliver a stronger budget.
The improvement in the forecast budget balance in 2021-22, together with the much stronger fiscal outcome in 2020-21, flows through to an improved outlook for debt.
Gross debt is projected to be lower in every year of the forward estimates and medium term than at the 2021-22 Budget.
Gross debt is now expected to be 41.8 per cent of GDP at 30 June 2022 and is projected to stabilise at around 50 per cent of GDP in the medium term.
Australia’s gross debt as a share of GDP is less than half the average across G20 advanced countries today, with Australia only one of nine countries in the world to have a AAA credit rating from the three leading rating agencies.
There is also a material improvement in the net debt position which now peaks at 37.4 per cent of GDP as opposed to 40.9 per cent in 2024-25, $65.7 billion lower than what was expected in May.
Australia’s world leading economic and health outcomes have been supported by a further $25 billion in direct economic and health support committed during the Delta outbreak, bringing our total pandemic support to $337 billion or 16.3 per cent of GDP.
This included more than $7.3 billion in business support payments, $12.6 billion in payments to individuals through the COVID-19 Disaster Payment and further investments in our vaccine rollout and hospitals.
The Government has also provided additional funding to sustain capacity in sectors significantly disrupted by COVID-19 such as aviation, tourism, early childhood education and care, and the arts.
Building on our COVID-19 response, funding in today’s MYEFO includes:

• $2.3 billion in funding commitments for new and existing infrastructure projects and more than $500 million to support rural and regional Australia.
• $896.0 million to support a strong labour market recovery, address workforce shortages and build workforce capability, equipping Australia’s workforce with the skills needed now and into the future.
• $2.7 billion in 2021-22 and $26.4 billion over the four years to 2024-25 to support the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
• $1.1 billion to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in areas such as health, education, early childhood, justice, languages and assisting families.
• $1.1 billion over 10 years to support reliable energy supply and a technology-driven approach to emissions reduction as part of our roadmap to net zero by 2050.

The global pandemic will continue to pose headwinds for domestic and global recovery for some time to come.
However, Australia’s high vaccination rate and increased investment in health system capacity will assist in mitigating the challenges presented by the ongoing global pandemic, including managing new variants.
Australia has a proven record of dealing with COVID-19 and the Government remains focused on securing the recovery, guaranteeing our essential services and setting Australia up for the future.
The 2021-22 MYEFO is available on the Budget website www.budget.gov.au

Close to 500 health students each year are undertaking placements and their university degrees in Orange, providing a boost to health care in the region and equipping the next generation of students with the right skills and confidence to work regionally.
Federal Member for Calare, Andrew Gee said today during a visit to Charles Sturt University, that the university had in 2020 facilitated around 470 nursing, midwifery and allied health placements in Orange, equating to more than 1,835 weeks of rural training.
Mr Gee and Federal Regional Health Minister, Dr David Gillespie visited the local campus, which is enabling students to obtain clinical experience in public and private health services.
“Having student doctors and other health professionals undertaking training in Orange has created jobs and given local patients increased access to health care,” Mr Gee said.
Mr Gee said the Australian Government funds the Orange training facilities through its Rural Health Multidisciplinary Training (RHMT) program. The program aims to improve the recruitment and retention of doctors and health professionals in rural and remote Australia.
“Charles Sturt University has received almost $13.5 million from the Federal Government for its RHMT activities over the past three years,” Mr Gee said.
“Additionally, this year a partnership between CSU and Western Sydney University has enabled a Joint Program in Medicine with 37 places for medical students to get underway here in Orange.
“This program is supported by our Government; we provided capital works funding of $22 million from 2019 to 2022 to establish the initiative.
“Our region fought for years to get this medical school established against entrenched opposition. We can all take pride in the fact that it will be training doctors in the bush for practice in the bush for generations to come.
“Country people deserve the same access to medical services as people in the cities, and the CSU Medical School will play a key role in making sure we have this equality for our country communities,” said Mr Gee.
Minister Gillespie, a former regional doctor, said The Nationals understand that when students undertake training in a regional or rural area, like Orange, it means they are more likely to choose to live and work outside the major cities, once they are fully qualified.
“That’s why expanding rural training is a key part of the Government’s comprehensive strategy to increase the number of doctors, nurses, dentists and other health professionals serving our rural people,” Dr Gillespie said.
Mr Gee and Dr Gillespie visited Charles Sturt’s School of Rural Medicine based at the campus in Orange, one of the University’s five major sites. The University’s Rural Medical School and Three Rivers Department of Rural Health supports nursing, midwifery, dentistry and allied health students to study and undertake placements within the region.
The University’s Rural Medical School is part of the Murray-Darling Medical Schools Network which the Government is developing to build on rural undergraduate training through the RHMT program, to support a continuum for doctors to learn, train and work in the regions through five rurally based medical school programs.
Charles Sturt Vice-Chancellor Professor Renée Leon said the University has long been one of regional Australia’s most reliable and comprehensive pipelines of highly skilled, ready-to-work healthcare graduates.
“The Joint Program in Medicine is unique in Australia in that all clinical and classroom training takes place in regional settings, she said.
“The Program has been designed to help address the persistent health workforce gaps in rural, regional and remote communities.”
“Our medicine students study alongside our offerings in nursing and allied health, who are also critical to the health outcomes of regional Australians,” she said.

In partnership with state and territory governments and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health leaders, the Morrison Government has released a national policy framework to improve health and wellbeing outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over the next 10 years.
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt and Minister for Indigenous Australians, Ken Wyatt, said the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan 2021–2031 would make a significant contribution.
“The Health Plan is the first national health document to address and embed the health targets and Priority Reforms of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap,” Minister Hunt said.
“In particular, the Health Plan prioritises the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled health sector and the imperative for mainstream health services to provide culturally safe and responsive care.
“The Health Plan represents a fundamental shift in the way governments work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, communities and organisations.”
The Health Plan recognises that historic and systemic factors have resulted in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people having a burden of disease 2.3 times that of non-Indigenous Australians.
Minister Wyatt said the Health Plan will guide existing and future investment.
“This year we have already announced $254 million to improve infrastructure in community controlled health services, $45 million to improve healthy birthweight under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, and a further $781 million, predominantly for aged care and mental health – measures all strongly aligned with the priorities in the Health Plan,” Minister Wyatt said.
“Further opportunities, including through funding reprioritisation, will be identified as we begin the important task of implementing the Health Plan.”
CEO of Indigenous Allied Health Australia and Chair of the Health Plan Working Group, Donna Murray, said for sustainable change the leadership of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their voices was essential.
“It is important that we have worked in true partnership with government to develop this Health Plan, as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people know what is best for our own health and wellbeing – which we provided in My Life, My Lead consultation processes,” Ms Murray said.
“We have ensured that the Health Plan reinforces the importance of strengths-based and rights-based approaches that embed the cultural and social determinants of health in determining our own priorities and solutions.
“I welcome, too, that the Health Plan is informed by the fundamental role that connection to Country, family, kinship and community play in our health and wellbeing.”
The Health Plan will hold governments and the mainstream health system accountable for progress against its objectives, through an accountability framework and independent
mid-cycle and end-of-cycle progress reviews.
The Health Plan complements the National Preventive Health Strategy, launched this week, with significant focus on preventive health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
 

A new $34 million research centre will strengthen the future of aged care delivery in Australia.
The Aged Care Centre for Growth and Translational Research to open next year at Flinders University in Adelaide will help ensure vital research leads to tangible outcomes for the aged care sector.
The work will initially focus on four priority areas – dementia care, restorative care and rehabilitation, mental health and wellbeing, and social isolation.
Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services, Senator Richard Colbeck, said the centre was an important investment in improving the quality of aged care services.
“This is a big step forward when it comes to ensuring the needs of older Australians in care are not just met, but exceeded,” Minister Colbeck said.
“The Morrison Government is supporting the aged care sector to make improvements across workforce capability, care quality and effectiveness.
“To do that, it’s important for the Government to back innovation and accelerate the uptake of new technologies and research to benefit our ageing population.”
Ultimately, the centre will provide a platform for strengthened care for senior and vulnerable Australians and is part of the overall $17.7 billion the Morrison Government is providing in response to the Royal Commission into aged care quality and safety.
The first step in establishing the centre will be developing a new knowledge and implementation hub.
“This web-based hub will give the aged care sector access to information and products that set out practically how aged care can be delivered in the best possible way, based on comprehensive, evidence-based research,” Minister Colbeck said.
First round of applications at the centre open in February 2022. This will include support for aged care workers to trial new ways of delivering care.
“Workers in aged care will have the opportunity to share their learnings with other services through communities of practice and open forums on the knowledge hub,” Minister Colbeck said.
The focus of the research will be on how care and clinical activities are organised, delivered by different workers, and deployed in different care settings.
The centre will also support sector-wide improvements in care quality by increasing and expanding the capacity of the aged care workforce to access, understand and use research outcomes in their day-to-day work.
Flinders University Vice-Chancellor Professor Colin Stirling said the national centre will enable collaboration between university researchers, industry partners and the aged care workforce to effectively address real and meaningful systemic changes for ageing Australians.
“The Aged Care Centre for Growth and Translational Research will bring together aged care staff and our researchers to carry out projects in collaboration with our industry partners, directly facilitating improvements in the sector,” Prof. Stirling said.
“We’ll apply the research through education and training programs to introduce innovations and improve caring practices – because we can’t afford to leave behind Australians who got us to where we are today.”
The research centre is part of the Government’s aged care workforce strategy to deliver vital services, improve quality, care and viability for senior Australians, under its $17.7 billion aged care reform package.
Minister Colbeck said the centre would evolve into an industry-led independent body.
“The Australian Government has provided funding over three years, and a key goal is for the centre to work towards self-sufficiency from 1 July 2024.”
The centre is expected to be operational by February 2022.

The Morrison Government will invest $102 million to expand, strengthen and enhance Australia’s National Dementia Support Program.
Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services, Richard Colbeck said ensuring access to high quality and effective support for those living with dementia, their families and carers was a priority.
Between 386,200 and 472,000 people are living with dementia across the country, with an additional 1.6 million people caring for them.
“This funding underpins the Morrison Government’s focus to ensure our most vulnerable loved ones receive the high-quality personalised care they deserve,” Minister Colbeck said.
“It also more than doubles annual funding for the program and will be delivered by Dementia Australia.”
The investment means the National Dementia Helpline will start 24/7 operations ensuring support is only a phone call away at any time of the day or night, increasing the total volume of calls from around 35,000 up to 80,000 a year.
The expanded and enhanced support program will also deliver:

• Improved access to counselling, post-diagnostic support programs, education sessions, support groups, and peer mentoring for coaching, advice and carer support to around 30,000 people.
• Outbound call support following up with people recently diagnosed with dementia and their carers to connect them to information and services as early as possible;
• A targeted campaign to GPs and clinicians so people with dementia get access to more timely diagnosis and ongoing support; and
• counselling and other supports for up to 15,000 people diagnosed with dementia each year, and their carers.

“This investment will improve the lives of people living with dementia right across the nation,” Minister Colbeck said.
“The recent Dementia in Australia 2021 report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare clearly demonstrates the increasing significance of dementia as a health, aged care and societal issue.
“The Government is driving aged care reforms and investing in targeted and more widely available services and programs for people living with dementia, their families and carers.”
Dementia was one of four areas of concern for immediate action identified in the final report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.
Recommendation 15 focused on the establishment of a comprehensive, clear and accessible post-diagnosis support pathway for people living with dementia, their carers and families.
“Dementia Australia provides invaluable support to people living with dementia, their families, carers and friends so that they can have the best quality of life possible,” Minister Colbeck said.
“The Government’s funding means Dementia Australia can expand, enhance its reach and continue to deliver life-changing services.
“As well as providing practical and helpful assistance, this program also gives social support so people living with dementia feel included and valued in their local communities while living fulfilling lives.”
The 2021 Budget allocated $229.4 million to improve the quality of life and care for people living with dementia.
For more information about the National Dementia Support Program, please visit Dementia Australia at www.dementia.org.au.

More than 100 students studying medicine, nursing, midwifery, allied health and dentistry have completed the rural part of their training in Mildura under Morrison Joyce Government-funded programs, which has boosted access to doctors, dentists and health professionals for local patients.
Federal Member for Mallee, Dr Anne Webster said the Morrison Joyce Government supported regional and rural health training, because it resulted in more doctors and health professionals staying in the bush after they graduate.
Visiting La Trobe and Monash universities in Mildura today with Federal Regional Health Minister, Dr David Gillespie, Dr Webster said Federal Government investment through the Rural Health Multidisciplinary Training (RHMT) program gave more students more opportunities to train locally.
“To achieve a stable, reliable and dedicated workforce in healthcare throughout Mallee, we need to pull out every tool in the toolbox. Regional training centres like Monash University and La Trobe University are essential to achieving this outcome,” Dr Webster said.
“Our Government provides $6.65 million to La Trobe University under the RHMT program, so students can train and do placements here in Mildura.
“Last year, La Trobe students completed more than 190 nursing, midwifery and allied health placements in Mildura, equating to more than 835 training weeks.
“Additionally, our government provides funding of $48.3 million to Monash University under the RHMT Program.”
Dr Gillespie, a regional doctor for more than 30 years, said in Mildura last year, 16 Monash students completed 12-month medical placements; 21 completed six-month medical placements; and more than 25 short-term medical placements took place, equating to more than 160 training weeks.
Additionally, Monash students completed more than 45 nursing, midwifery and allied health placements, equating to more than 170 completed training weeks.
“To ensure this can run smoothly, 14 local staff support the students across the two programs,” Dr Webster said.
Minister Gillespie said the Government was tackling the challenges associated with Australia’s health workforce maldistribution head-on.
“The RHMT Program and the Murray-Darling Medical Schools Network are two of the Government’s flagship training programs aimed at bridging the city-country divide in health services and training opportunities,” Dr Gillespie said.
“These programs are a win-win-win for students, patients and host communities, which benefit from the local jobs created and the placements trainees undertake. They expose students to many of the unique challenges facing rural patients.”
Dr Webster said that training health students in regional areas is an essential step to ensuring a sustainable health workforce in regional areas such as Mildura.
“The reality is that we have enough medical graduates, but the distribution of those graduates is heavily weighted in metropolitan areas. I want to see more health professionals choosing to come to regional centres and invest into the local community on a long-term basis,” Dr Webster said.
“The Liberal and Nationals Government will continue to fight to see solutions for regional people. Regional, rural and remote Australia are not an afterthought for this government: they are a priority.
“That is why I continue to fight for funding for a biomed undergraduate course for La Trobe University in Mildura. This would provide a proven entrance to a medical degree in Mildura and coupled with the post graduate courses available at Monash would secure workforce into the future.”
Monash University receives $7.88 million in funding from the Morrison Joyce Government for a new ‘rural intention’ stream to the existing intake of its four-year graduate entry medical program in Gippsland; 30 students who started this program in Gippsland in 2021 will move to Mildura and Bendigo to complete the remainder of their degree.

A new sovereign vaccine manufacturing facility will be built in Australia to produce respiratory mRNA vaccines for potential future pandemics and seasonal health issues as part of a new in principle agreement between the Australian Government, Victorian Government and global mRNA company Moderna.
The sovereign on-shore facility will be built in Victoria as part of a long term strategic partnership, secured by the Morrison Government, to increase preparedness for possible future pandemics, including priority access to vaccines, research and development, clinical trials and global supply chain access.
The in principle deal will mean in a pandemic 100 million mRNA vaccines could be produced in Australia each year, starting in 2024 pending regulatory and planning approval, with priority access to both pandemic and non-pandemic respiratory mRNA vaccines, including potential seasonal flu vaccines.
mRNA technology is part of the next generation in advanced health care, it has already helped save hundreds of thousands, if not millions of lives worldwide from COVID-19.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said mRNA technology would play an important and growing role in response to future health issues and securing a sovereign on-shore mRNA technology was critical.
“This investment will continue to secure Australia’s future economic prosperity while protecting lives by providing access to world-leading mRNA vaccines made on Australian soil,” the Prime Minister said.
“The new mRNA manufacturing facility in Victoria will produce respiratory vaccines for potential future pandemics and seasonal health issues such as the common flu, protecting lives and livelihoods.”
“Medical manufacturing is at the heart of our Modern Manufacturing Initiative, creating jobs and securing Australia’s economic recovery, with more than a million Australians back working in manufacturing, the highest level since Labor let it fall in 2009.”
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt said that ATAGI’s recent recommendation on Moderna’s booster dose was a further testament to their advancements in mRNA.
“Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine is now available through all channels and just this past Sunday, following expert advice from ATAGI, I was proud to be one of the first in the nation to receive it as a booster dose,” Minister Hunt said.
“Ensuring Moderna has a manufacturing presence here will deliver Australia priority access to products manufactured here in Australia, by Australians, for Australians, using the most cutting edge vaccination science available in the world today.”
“This is another key pillar in Australia’s long term medical manufacturing future, and we are looking forward to finalising the agreements with Moderna as soon as possible.”
Once operational, Moderna will help meet Australia’s ongoing needs for COVID-19 vaccines, and for other respiratory mRNA vaccines as they are developed and approved by Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).
Minister for Finance Simon Birmingham said the arrival of onshore mRNA manufacturing would allow Australia to continue to play a role as a world leader in medical research.
“Moderna will become a vital part of Australia’s mRNA research and development landscape, bringing investment and opportunities for the entire research sector,” Minister Birmingham said.
“This investment will mean world-leading clinical trials, a strong local workforce and creating opportunities through supply chain activities, helping to drive Australia’s economy forward.”
“This is a further endorsement of Australia’s capacity to be a world-leader in the fields of health and medical research.”
Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor said the Government is ensuring Australia maximises the long-term value of any investment in mRNA.
“These discussions to develop a local advanced manufacturing capability build on our $1.5 billion Modern Manufacturing Strategy and the opportunities in the Medical Products National Manufacturing Priority road map, helping to chart the course to bring new jobs to the local biotech sector,” Minister Taylor said.
“Our approach is all about ensuring we can have access to, and are able to develop, the next generation of medicines for Australians, and to make sure that Australia’s biopharmaceutical sector and community is at the forefront of that”.
In order to promote the development of an mRNA sector in Australia, the Australian Government will also invest up to $25 million from 2022-23 in the 2021 mRNA Clinical Trials Enabling Infrastructure Grant Opportunity.
This funding will directly support Australian medical research and medical innovation projects that leverage and enhance emerging technologies, platforms, equipment and infrastructure to conduct clinical trials of mRNA-based vaccines and therapeutics.
This grant opportunity forms part of the Government’s Coronavirus Research Response, which is funded through the $20 billion Medical Research Future Fund.

The Morrison Government has today launched the National Preventive Health Strategy, a 10-year plan to improve the health and wellbeing of all Australians at all stages of life.
The Strategy seeks to improve Australia’s health system, fundamentally focused on the treatment of illness and disease, by increasing the focus on prevention – from illness to wellness, and from healthcare to health.
Chronic conditions are the leading cause of ill health and death in Australia and account for 87% of deaths.
The Strategy recognises that around 38% of the chronic disease burden could be prevented through a reduction in modifiable risk factors such as obesity, physical inactivity and the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. This figure rises to be 49% for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
The Strategy strongly emphasises that preventive action must focus on the all influencing factors that impact on health to ensure health equity is achieved for priority populations – this Strategy is for all Australians.
We know Australians in good health are better able to lead fulfilling and productive lives, and can participate fully in their community, their jobs, and their education. COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of our health and the economic benefits health can bring.
Strong action in preventive health will also reduce the burden of avoidable diseases and conditions on the health system, making it more robust and agile in responding to challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
There are four broad aims in the Strategy for Australians:

• ensuring the best start in life, from conception into early childhood
• improving quality of life and extending life expectancy
• achieving health equity for priority populations, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and
• increasing government investment in prevention.

The Strategy identifies 7 key system enablers that will be integral to creating long-term, sustainable changes to the health system for all Australians, outlining seven focus areas that require critical action to reduce the risks of poor health and disease:

• nutrition
• physical activity
• tobacco
• immunisation
• cancer screening
• alcohol and other drug use;
• and mental health.

Australia’s record in prevention is already strong through immunisation, bowel and cervical cancer screening, and the reduction of tobacco use. The Strategy brings a coordinated, systems-based approach that seeks to embed prevention in the health sector and society more generally.
The Government has invested $1.9 million in 2021-22 to build the foundations of the Strategy, with the first steps for implementation are already underway.
The Blueprint for Action being developed to guide implementation and provide a roadmap for the next 10 years, to ensure the Strategy achieves success.
Other immediate priorities include creating an evidence-based Prioritisation Framework, analysing the current public health workforce, and developing consumer engagement and health literacy strategies.
The Strategy builds on other key areas of reform including the Primary Health Care 10 Year Plan and the refresh of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan.
 

Twenty-one health groups across Australia will share in $23.7 million over three years thanks to the Morrison Government’s National Preventative Health Strategy, furthering support for the health and wellbeing of all Australians.
Organisations such as the National Rural Health Alliance, the Consumer Health Forum, and the Public Health Association of Australia will receive funding through the third round of the Health Peak and Advisory Bodies Program so they can continue engaged, robust and constructive participation in the national health agenda.
Established in 2016, the Health Peak and Advisory Bodies Program has supported, and continues to support, a wide range of organisations. A total of 39 organisations have been supported since the program began.
This grant opportunity will enable these groups to continue their important work, providing expert, evidence-based and impartial advice to inform current health policy and program development.
The program also helps support communication and consultation activities across the wider health sector, the community and government.
Within this round, there is an emphasis on support for the principles outlined in the National Preventive Health Strategy, such as multi-sector collaboration, enabling workforce and community engagement.
The Morrison Government values the role that all health organisations play in informing health policy by actively consulting with their members to ensure that the views of their sector are equally and fully represented to the Commonwealth.
This funding complements other programs and support available to health groups to deliver programs and initiatives that improve health outcomes for Australians.
The 21 organisations being supported from 2022 to 2025 are:
•                    Allied Health Professionals Australia
•                    Australasian Institute of Digital Health
•                    Australia Research Alliance for Children and Youth
•                    Australian Alcohol and Other Drugs Council
•                    Australian Association of Adolescent Health
•                    Australian Health Promotion
•                    Australian Men’s Health Forum
•                    Australian Sleep Association
•                    Australian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis & Sexual Health Medicine
•                    Australian Women’s Health Network
•                    Consumer Health Forum
•                    Deafness Forum
•                    Health Justice Australia
•                    LGBTIQ+ Health Australia
•                    Lung Foundation Australia
•                    Migration Council of Australia
•                    National Rural Health Alliance
•                    Obesity Australia
•                    Public Health Association of Australia
•                    Suicide Prevention Australia
•                    Vision 2020

Household electricity prices across the National Electricity Market (NEM) have fallen to eight-year lows under the Morrison Government, driven by key government reforms, including the default market offer price cap.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) latest report from its ongoing inquiry into the NEM confirms electricity prices have fallen substantially for both households and business customers over the past two years.
The ACCC report found the average annual cost of electricity for a residential customer in 2020–21 was $1,434, down by $128 or 8 per cent across the past two financial years. Costs for businesses have fallen even further, down 10 per cent for small businesses over the last two years, and down 12 per cent for large businesses.
The ACCC also said it expected electricity prices would continue to fall over the coming 12 months as the impact from falling wholesale costs over the last two years continue to flow through to consumers.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the Government has a clear expectation that these falling costs are passed onto consumers, and that the energy market delivers the best outcomes for Australian households and businesses.
“The ACCC has found electricity prices are expected to fall further over the next year, due to lower wholesale costs, reflecting lower costs for coal and gas, increased supply from solar and wind generation, and lower transmission costs,” the Treasurer said.
“These findings are great news for Australian families and businesses, with lower electricity costs further supporting Australians as the economy recovers from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor said government programs, such as the Default Market Offer and the “big stick” legislation for energy companies, are directly helping customers to benefit from reduced electricity costs.
“Households and businesses rely on affordable, reliable power to grow and thrive. They cannot afford a repeat of the doubling of electricity costs we saw under Labor, driven by the carbon tax and goldplating of our poles and wires.”
“This is why the Government’s plan for energy has been about putting customers first, and making sure households and businesses have more money in their hip pockets.”
“Our plan is delivering real savings for Australians, and this is yet another report, following recent reporting from the AER, the AEMC and the ABS, showing how this government’s actions are supporting sustained and substantial electricity price falls.”
“The government is committed to ensuring access to affordable, secure and reliable electricity. Australian households and businesses deserve no less.”
The ACCC’s latest report into the NEM is available at https://www.accc.gov.au/