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The Albanese Government has delivered on its election commitment to open an additional 50 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics with the final clinic opening in Caloundra, Queensland today.

Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are providing cost of living relief, helping families access healthcare without the cost, providing free Medicare-backed care close to home.

The opening is a historic milestone meaning all 137 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics promised by the Government are now operating around the country.

Clinics provide free Medicare-backed care for urgent, but not life-threatening, illnesses and injuries. No appointment needed. No out-of-pocket costs. And they are here to stay.

The Albanese Government delivered a major Medicare investment in the Budget, making Medicare Urgent Care Clinics a permanent part of Australia’s health system.

The significant health measure includes an additional $1.8 billion over five years from 2025-26 and $525.6 million a year ongoing from 2030-31 to keep Medicare Urgent Care Clinics open and free.

There have been more than 3.1 million visits to Medicare Urgent Care Clinics across Australia since the first one opened in June 2023, with projections to deliver 2 million instances of care per year with all clinics now open.

More than one in four of these presentations were patients aged under 15 years old, more than one in four were on weekends, and one in four were after 5pm on weekdays when many GPs are not available.

A recent interim evaluation report of the Medicare Urgent Care Clinics Program found:  

• Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are achieving their purpose in delivering urgent care services and reducing equivalent Emergency Department presentations by around 10% nationally.
• 45% of patients reported that they would have sought care in an Emergency Department or called an ambulance if the Medicare Urgent Care Clinic was not available. This increased to 48% in the afterhours period.
• Patients are satisfied with the care they receive, and staff enjoy the variety of working across both general practice and urgent care.

With the opening of the final clinic, four out of five Australians will now live within a 20-minute drive of a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic.

The Caloundra Medicare Urgent Care Clinic will be the 26th clinic to open in Queensland, located at Shop 1, Little Mountain Central Shopping Centre, 65 Pierce Avenue, Little Mountain.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

“Medicare Urgent Care Clinics help patients get the care they need for free and ease pressure on hospitals.

“Now that all of Labor’s clinics are open, four in five Australians will live within a 20-minute drive of a bulk billed Medicare Urgent Care Clinic.

“When you go to an Urgent Care Clinic, all you will need is your Medicare card, not your credit card.”

Minister Butler

“Labor promised an additional 50 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics at the last election and our Government has delivered on that promise.

“Across Australia, Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are fulfilling their promise by making sure Australians can walk in and receive urgent care quickly and for free, seven days a week over extended hours.

“They are making a real difference, for patients and for busy hospital emergency departments. More clinics, in more locations, and all patients need is their Medicare card.”

Senator Mulholland

“The Albanese Government is delivering for people in Caloundra with the opening of the Caloundra Medicare Urgent Care Clinic.

“This clinic will be a game changer in an area of high population growth, particularly young families.

“All people in Caloundra and the surrounding region will need is their Medicare card, not their credit card, to get the urgent care they need.”

Every day early educators help children learn, grow and get ready for school.

It’s one of the most important jobs in the country and they should be paid fairly for that work.

That’s why the Albanese Government funded a 15 per cent pay rise for Early Education and Care Workers.

Today, the Albanese Government is investing a further $3.6 billion over the next two years to lock in this historic 15 per cent pay rise for early childhood educators.

This investment will be tied to a commitment from Child Care Centres to limit fee increases. We want to make sure workers can be fairly paid without the costs being passed on to families.

When combined with our support for minimum wage rises, this will mean $255 more per week for a typical full-time educator and $410 more per week for early childhood teachers, compared to December 2024 when the Government first implemented the pay rise.

For the first time employees in the Family Day Care and In-Home Care sectors will also be eligible for the payment, starting from July. More information on applications and criteria will be available soon.

Keeping costs for families down

This funding will continue to be tied to a commitment from services receiving the payment to limit fee increases for parents.

We are making sure workers can be fairly paid without the costs being passed on to families.

That’s helping to ease cost-of-living pressure while delivering better early learning for children.

This is part of the Albanese Government’s work to make early education and care more affordable, more accessible and high quality.

We also introduced the 3 Day Guarantee this year to make sure every child who needs it is eligible for three days of subsidised early learning each week, no matter what their parents do.

Strengthening safety

The Government will now require services to meet the national safety standard as a condition of the payment.

Today 95 per cent of early learning services are meeting the safety standard, more than ever before, but we want that number to be higher.

From July 2027, if services don’t meet the National Quality Standard when it comes to safety, their funding will be cut or suspended.

Parents deserve confidence that their child is safe in care.

If a service is not meeting the standard that parents expect and children deserve, it risks this funding being cut off.

This requirement builds on the Albanese Government’s reforms to strengthen safety in early education and care.

More educators, lower costs

The payment has worked to bolster our early educator workforce and keep costs for families down.

Since it was announced: 

• There are around 20,000 more ECEC workers, about an 8 per cent increase.
• Job vacancies in early education have decreased by almost 31 per cent.
• Fees at centres receiving the payment have grown at around half the rate of centres that don’t.
• The percentage of services operating with a staffing waiver has fallen from 8.9 per cent to 5.1 per cent.
• Use of casual staff by Australia’s largest child care provider, Goodstart Early Learning, fell by 5 per cent and use of agency staff decreased by 69 per cent in the first year of the program.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

“Early educators help give our children the best start in life.

“They do incredibly important work and they deserve to be fairly paid for it.

“Only child care centres who agree to limit their fees for parents will be eligible to receive funding for this wage increase for workers.

“We’re making child care more affordable, lifting standards and backing the people who help shape the next generation of Australians.”

Minister for Education Jason Clare

“This is good news for workers and it’s good news for families.

“Caring for and teaching kids is some of the most important work in the country.

“Our early educators deserve every cent they get and this funding locks their pay rise in.

“The payment has worked to bring more people into the early education workforce and to keep costs down for families.

“Turns out if you pay people more, more people want to do the job.

“Over the last year, working with the states and territories, we’ve done a lot to strengthen safety in early education and care.

“We’re taking the next step today, tying this funding to safety standards.

“Nothing is more important than the safety of our kids.

“This will help to make sure safety and quality in early education is what parents expect and what our children deserve.”

Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Amanda Rishworth

“Early childhood educators deserve more than our thanks, they deserve a pay rise.

“The Albanese Labor Government changed Australia’s workplace laws to deliver pay rises for early educators and to allow more multi-employer bargaining, especially in undervalued, feminised sectors of the economy like early education.

“Our Government has consistently advocated for a minimum wage rise and for undervalued workers to earn what they deserve and this has led to full-time early childhood educators typically earning $410 more per week.”

Minister for Early Childhood Education Jess Walsh

“For too long, our early childhood educators were underpaid, undervalued and overlooked. 

“And as a result, they were walking out the door.

“With the Albanese Labor Government’s 15 per cent pay rise, we’re seeing that turn around.

“This helps create a long-term stable workforce, and that strengthens the whole sector.

“Today’s announcement is the foundation of our reforms to improve quality in early education and care and to make it more affordable for families by properly valuing our early educators.”

The Albanese Government is today announcing further implementation details for its tax reform package, following an intensive first round of post-Budget consultation.

Our tax reforms are all about making it easier for Australians to buy their first home, cutting taxes for workers, and better aligning the tax treatment of labour and asset income, and this is reflected in the core legislation before the Senate.

The details we’re announcing today are all about providing more clarity and confidence to investors, more support for small businesses, and more incentives for innovation. 

We are announcing further CGT concessions today for small businesses and startups, and retaining the original intent of our policies.

This means all 2.7 million active small businesses and 98 per cent of all active businesses will be eligible for generous CGT concessions.

Having completed a substantial amount of the consultation we flagged in the Budget papers, we’re now releasing a consultation paper on startups while we also provide further implementation details around our tax reforms, including: 

• Announcing an increase to the turnover threshold for the existing small business 50 per cent active asset CGT reduction from $2 million to $10 million. This will mean all 2.7 million active small businesses and 98% of all active businesses will be eligible for this concession.
• Releasing a consultation paper on the design of a new Innovative Business CGT Concession that would provide a 50 per cent CGT discount to early-stage investors including founders and employee share scheme participants of innovative start-up businesses.
• Confirming that income from all types of testamentary trusts will be exempt from the minimum tax, including future discretionary testamentary trusts, with implementation details included in further consultation.
• Confirming amendments will be made to the legislation in the Senate rather than in legislative instruments, to provide certainty on as much of the implementation details of the Government’s tax reforms as possible.

These details mean the Albanese Government is now delivering over $3.8 billion in new measures that lower taxes for businesses and start-ups, on top of the fourth and fifth rounds of tax cuts for workers and a fairer housing market for first home buyers.

Small businesses concessions

As outlined in the Budget, the Government will retain the existing four small business CGT concessions which allow small businesses to reduce, defer or completely eliminate their capital gains tax liability when they sell active business assets. 

We are extending the eligibility of the 50 per cent active asset reduction to more businesses by increasing the turnover threshold from $2 million to $10 million.

This brings eligibility for this concession into line with the turnover threshold for the instant asset write off and will mean that all 2.7 million active small business and 98 per cent of active businesses will be eligible for a 50 per cent CGT discount on active business assets, on top of the discount for inflation where eligible once these reforms are in place. 

The Government will introduce amendments to the legislation currently before the Senate to give effect to this change.

Consultation on arrangements for innovative start-ups

The Government is today releasing a consultation paper on the design of a 50 per cent CGT discount for early-stage investors including founders and employee share scheme participants of innovative start-up businesses. 

The Innovative Business CGT Concession will provide individuals, partnerships and trusts holding eligible shares a choice between a 50 per cent discount or indexation and the minimum tax for gains accrued from 1 July 2027.

Subject to further consultation, eligible shares must be new equity issued by a company that is under 10 years old (or under 15 years in certain circumstances), under $50 million in turnover and meets principles-based innovation criteria, and must be held for five years before being sold, with a lifetime cap on the concession.

This will ensure that early investors in innovative start-ups that start with a low or zero cost base still receive a significant discount on a future capital gain, supporting the continued growth of Australia’s start-up and venture capital ecosystem.

The Government will consider expanding eligibility to 15 years for start-ups in sectors such as biotech and medtech that can take longer to commercialise.

Consultation is open until 10 July and will inform the final design, to be implemented in a later tranche of tax reform legislation. The paper will be available on the Treasury website.

These measures build on the existing significant measures to support business risk taking and investment in the Budget, including two-year loss carry back, loss refundability for start-ups, expanded venture capital incentives, and making the $20,000 instant asset write off permanent.

The additional support for small business has an indicative cost of $300 million over the forward estimates and brings the total new tax measures to support businesses in the tax reform package to over $3.8 billion. The proposed arrangements for start-ups have an indicative cost of $125 million over the forward estimates. Financial impacts will be finalised in the next Budget update in the usual way, following consultation.

Amendments to the legislation

The Government will make targeted amendments to the legislation currently before the Parliament, removing ministerial powers to provide certainty on as much of the implementation details as possible. 

The Government intends to move the following amendments in the next sitting fortnight, subject to parliamentary negotiations:

• Extend the eligibility of the 50 per cent active asset reduction to more businesses by increasing the turnover threshold from $2 million to $10 million.
• Ensure deductible gift and donations reduce capital gains that are subject to the minimum tax, to maintain tax incentives in relation to charitable giving. 
• Provide the list of income support payments that qualify for an exemption from the minimum tax on capital gains. 
• Embed the calculation method for the Working Australians Tax Offset in legislation. 
• Remove ministerial powers no longer needed to give effect to the Government’s policy intent.

The Government also intends to remove ministerial discretion in relation to the following aspects of the Bill, with legislation to be introduced later this year following consultation:  

• Definition of new builds that are eligible to choose a 50 per cent discount on gains accrued from 1 July 2027, and eligible to access negative gearing for properties purchased after 12 May 2026, consistent with the details outlined in the Budget. 
• Definition of the types of housing investment exempt from the limits on negative gearing, including affordable housing.

The definition of new builds and housing investment exemptions will be moved into primary legislation in a future tranche of tax reform legislation. Final details, including treatment of certain types of accommodation and housing investment, will be subject to consultation. 

These details reflect the targeted consultations and engagements undertaken since the release of the Budget, consistent with the Government’s commitment to engage with stakeholders on implementation.

Trusts reform and other elements of the tax reform package

The Government will continue to develop further tranches of legislation to implement the Budget tax reform package, consistent with the process for legislating other large tax reform packages in the past.

This will include the release of a consultation paper on implementation of the minimum tax on discretionary trusts in the coming weeks which will provide further details on the proposed implementation approach.

In response to targeted consultation following the Budget, the Government will exempt income from all types of discretionary testamentary trusts from the minimum tax provided they are established for genuine testamentary purposes.

The exclusion will be limited to income from assets of the deceased estate. For discretionary testamentary trusts established on or after 1 July 2028, the exclusion will only apply to trusts that can only benefit individuals and income tax exempt entities.  

We have been clear that there is no tax on inheritances or deceased estates but we are taking this step to put this beyond doubt.

This exemption has an indicative cost of $50 million over the forward estimates. Financial impacts will be finalised in the next Budget update in the usual way, following consultation.

In addition, the Government will next week introduce legislation to give effect to our reforms that make loss carry back and the instant asset write off for small business permanent.

We are grateful to the individuals and organisations that have engaged with the Government on these issues in good faith since the release of the Budget and also acknowledge the work of the Senate Economics Legislation Committee and submissions made to its inquiry process.

The Albanese Labor Government’s tax reform agenda is all about making it easier for Australians to buy their first home, cutting taxes for workers, and better aligning the tax treatment of labour and asset income, and that’s the focus of the legislation we’re putting before the Parliament.

The details outlined today will provide further clarity and confidence to investors, more support for small businesses and increase incentives for innovation.

The Royal Australian Navy today celebrated the achievements of its newest graduates from the Navy Indigenous Development Program (NIDP), marking the end of a powerful journey of growth, challenge and self‑discovery.

At HMAS Cairns, graduates took part in a formal parade and ceremonial march past family, community members and Defence representatives, including Minister for Defence Personnel, Matt Keogh and newly appointed Deputy Chief of Navy Rear Admiral Darren Grogan, CSM, RAN.  

The NIDP is a five-month training program designed to equip young First Nations Australians with the skills, knowledge and confidence needed to contribute to a stronger and more capable naval workforce.

Aligned with the Government’s Closing the Gap strategy, the program is open to First Nations Australians aged 17 to 35 and provides training in education, fitness, leadership and workplace skills.

The program also includes practical maritime exposure through training in Cairns and cultural immersion activities with local communities.

NIDP runs twice a year and offers a pathway into the Australian Defence Force or broader employment opportunities across Australia.

Graduates complete a TAFE Queensland course equivalent to Year 10 Mathematics and English, creating a foundation for further study or employment.

Minister for Defence Personnel, the Hon Matt Keogh MP: 

“The ADF’s most important capability is its people and an adaptable, resilient workforce that draws on a wide range of skills and experience is central to the strength of our Defence force.

“Over 22 weeks, this program is a springboard to success for First Nations Australians, whether that’s in the ADF or by bringing valuable skills back home to their communities.

“Today’s graduating class is a showcase for the opportunities this course opens up, with graduates going onto further training in a range of course from electronic warfare to logistics.

“Congratulations to all today’s graduates and good luck for the future.”

Deputy Chief of Navy Rear Admiral Darren Grogan, CSM, RAN.

“The Navy Indigenous Development Program proves that potential is everywhere, but opportunity isn’t always. The program delivers lasting benefits for individuals, their communities and Defence.

“These graduates have stepped forward, backed themselves and earned skills that set them up for whatever comes next, in our Navy, broader Defence and beyond.”

More information on the NIDP is at: Navy Indigenous Development Program – ADF Careers

Serving your country in uniform is a rewarding career but relocations, deployments and time away from loved ones can take a toll on family life and leave Defence families feeling disconnected from their communities.

That’s why the Albanese Government is investing more than $2.3 million in 25 grassroots support programs that are strengthening ADF families’ resilience across the country. 

From working with the North Queensland Cowboys to life skills courses for Defence kids in Rockingham, the funding means ADF families can access specialised family supports as well fun and inclusive social programs. 

The funding is being delivered through the Defence Community Grants offered to locally-based non-profit organisations as part of the Defence Family Support Funding Program.

The Minister for Defence Personnel Matt Keogh and the Member for Leichardt Matt Smith announced the program’s latest round of funding at Far North Queensland Legacy Club in Cairns.

The Club will receive $83,333 to deliver its Legacy Links program, which helps Defence families in Far North Queensland build stronger social connections, improve wellbeing and navigate key life transitions associated with Defence service.

A list of the not-for-profit organisations who are receiving FSFP funding is available on the Defence Community Grants: Family Support Funding Program website. 

Matt Keogh, Minister for Defence Personnel:

“The ADF’s greatest capability is our people and we know military life places unique stresses on families. 

“Building happier, healthier family relationships through the programs we’re funding today is a really important way of easing those stresses.

“These are successful programs that build resilience through a combination of specialised support services and fun social connections with local communities.

“I thank the grassroots organisations who are delivering these programs for the wonderful work they are doing with ADF families right across the country.”

Matt Smith, Member for Leichardt:

“The brave members of the military face a great deal of stress in their professional roles, which can often be passed on to partners and family in unique and unprecedented ways, particularly if they are required to move home.

“ADF families can now access specialised support, community groups and social programs that will help build new bonds when Defence members are relocated in the line of duty.

“Here in the Far North, the Legacy Links initiative reduces isolation, enhances resilience and ensures families feel supported, informed and connected throughout key Defence life transitions.

“FNQ Legacy should be commended for their work in this space as a worthy recipient of grant funding from the Albanese Labor Government.”

Defence Family Support Funding Programme Grant Recipients:

Location	Organisation	Grant $	Program
National	Australian Military Wives Choir (AMCW)	$119,300	The Australian Military Wives Choir (AMWC) is a choir of female singers with significant relationship to a serving ADF member, providing opportunity for friendship, increased confidence and competence. They also raise community awareness of challenges faced by ADF families. The AMWC is a national organisation providing an immediate community to family members posting to locations nationally.
National	Australian War Widows NSW Ltd	$35,597	This project will deliver a national online wellbeing and education program that connects Defence families regardless of location, posting cycle, or circumstances, offering wellbeing events and education sessions. Combining live, interactive facilitation with mailed wellbeing packs, the program provides accessible, stigma‑free opportunities for connection, skill‑building, and early intervention, supported by qualified social workers and specialist facilitators.
National	NRL Wheelchair	$133,333	The program seeks to deliver a national NRL Wheelchair participation and community engagement program that supports currently serving Australian Defence Force (ADF) members, veterans, and their families to strengthen wellbeing, resilience, and social connection in response to the unique demands of military life. Through “Come and Try” participation days and targeted social, peer-support, and educational activities, the program provides accessible and culturally appropriate pathways for Defence families to engage in sport, enhance mental wellbeing, and reconnect with community during service, following injury, or through transition.
National	The Fathering Project	$130,000	Defence Fathers & Families is a national, blended support program that strengthens the wellbeing, resilience, and parenting confidence of ADF fathers and their families by addressing the unique pressures of Defence life, including prolonged absences, relocations, and operational stress. Adapting The Fathering Project’s evidence‑based Connect Program and community fathering model for Defence contexts, the initiative delivers online group programs, peer‑led Defence Dads groups, on‑base education sessions, and targeted engagement across priority locations.
National	Relationships Australia Inc	$100,000	This project tailors the proven Neighbours Every Day campaign to better support ADF members and families by delivering “Town Hall” sessions in key Defence communities. It will surface lived experiences, identify connection challenges, and co‑design meaningful solutions. The initiative aims to strengthen belonging and improve social support through periods of relocation, transition, and deployment.
Adelaide	Shooting Hoops Foundation (Adelaide 36ers not- for-profit program)	$133,333	The Adelaide 36ers Shooting Hoops Foundation’s Wellbeing & PositiveConnections Program strengthens wellbeing, resilience and sense of belonging forADF families in South Australia by creating meaningful, inclusive community connections through sport, education and lived‑experience leadership. Responding to Defence families’ challenges—including relocation, separation, social isolation and limited youth engagement—the program delivers school‑based resilience initiatives, mentoring from Adelaide 36ers athletes and veterans, and accessible family connection events that foster confidence, emotional regulation and peer support.
Adelaide	YMCA of South Australia Youth and Family Services Inc.	$69,517	The YMCA Defence Communities Program strengthens wellbeing, belonging and social connection for Defence families through a suite of family camps, fun days and youth-focused Explorers programs designed to build community and long‑term support networks. Explorers’ day programs create opportunities for Defence children aged 5–12 to build resilience, confidence and friendships with peers who understand the challenges of relocation and parental deployment.
Albury Wodonga	Albury Wodonga Volunteer Resource Bureau	$132,000	The Defence Families Resilience and Empowerment Project supports military spouses in Albury‑Wodonga to build confidence, skills and community connection through a structured 10‑week employment and empowerment program with childcare provided. By equipping spouses with practical job‑readiness capabilities, linking them to local volunteer and employment opportunities, and fostering new social networks, the program strengthens wellbeing, independence and resilience within Defence families.
Brisbane Ipswich	Salute For Service Australia Ltd	$100,000	Salute For Service Australia Ltd proposes Defence Family Connect: Local Resilience, Safety and Community Pathways, a place‑based program designed to strengthen resilience, safety and local connectedness for ADF families navigating mobility, absence and disrupted support networks. Through facilitated resilience workshops, structured Family Navigation Clinic Days and a practical co‑designed Defence Family Toolkit, the project provides an integrated, trauma‑informed pathway that builds coping skills, fosters peer connection and reduces the burden on families to self‑navigate fragmented support systems.
Cairns Townsville	Far North Queensland Legacy Club Inc	$83,333	Legacy Links – FNQ Legacy Family Connect, Resilience & Transition Support Program, is a community‑based initiative designed to strengthen connection, resilience and wellbeing for ADF families across all stages of service in the Far North Queensland region. The program will deliver a regular facilitated Defence Family Social Group supported by a moderated online community to provide continuity of connection, local information and peer support. Backed by FNQ Legacy’s trusted reputation and established safeguarding frameworks, this initiative reduces isolation, enhances resilience and ensures families feel supported, informed and connected throughout key Defence life transitions.
Canberra	Gungahlin Defence Families Playgroup	$14,000	The Gungahlin Defence Families Playgroup (GDFP) is a long‑standing, community‑led initiative that has supported ADF members, veterans, and their families in North Canberra for more than 20 years. Focused on families with children aged 0–5, GDFP provides an accessible, low‑cost and reliable support network that helps families navigate the challenges of Defence life, including frequent relocations, limited local support networks, and service‑related absences.
Canberra	Relationships Australia Canberra & Region	$69,117	The Defence Youth Connections Program supports Defence‑connected students in Years 7 and 8 through a structured, nine‑month series of after‑school sessions designed to strengthen social connection, resilience, and wellbeing during a key developmental transition. Facilitated by trained youth professionals, the program blends guided activities with informal social time to reduce isolation, build confidence, and foster genuine peer relationships in the context of frequent relocation and limited online connection pathways.
Darwin	Lutheran Community Care Incorporated	$126,858	Lutheran Care will deliver a 16‑month, place‑based Defence family support program from its strategically located Berrimah facility The initiative combines structured parenting programs, facilitated deployment‑support groups, rapid integration assistance for newly posted families, community connection events, playgroups and digital engagement platforms to ensure ongoing support regardless of shift patterns or deployment status.
Darwin Tindal  (Katherine)	The Top Ender Magazine	$87,095	The Top Ender Tri‑Services Magazine is a not‑for‑profit publication created by Defence families for Defence families, delivering trusted, locally relevant information to more than 3,000 households across the Top End each quarter. The magazine provides practical relocation guidance, wellbeing content, community connections, historical features, youth‑focused activities and direct links to support services, helping Defence families feel informed, included and supported.
Hunter	Hunter Region Botanic Gardens	$9,667	Hunter Region Botanic Gardens (HRBG) proposes to enhance the wellbeing of Defence families by providing a number of free Family Passes, offering year‑round access to tranquil natural spaces that support relaxation, exercise, and mental restoration. Complemented by ADF‑exclusive community events, free access to workshops and wellness activities, and participation in ADF open days, HRBG will create inclusive opportunities for connection and respite.
Northern Territory	Relationships Australia Northern Territory Inc	$85,717	This project will create an innovative digital resource library—centred on a professionally produced 12‑episode podcast series—to address the unique wellbeing challenges faced by Defence families living in the Northern Territory. Drawing on Relationships Australia NT’s long‑standing expertise supporting Defence personnel through Open Arms, the podcast provides accessible, stigma‑free guidance on local services, deployment‑related stress, community connection and practical adjustment to NT life, while simultaneously strengthening the capability of local service providers.
Nowra Wagga Wagga Sydney	RSL NSW	$133,333	Thrive Tribes for Defence Families is a place‑based wellbeing and community‑building initiative delivered across selected NSW garrison locations in partnership with RSL NSW, providing Defence families with an evidence‑based wellbeing education program that strengthens resilience, confidence, and coping capabilities. Centred on the independently evaluated How to Thrive for Individuals program and the BEACON Framework™, the initiative combines practical skills development with intentional community connection through a flexible mix of face‑to‑face workshops, online sessions, and digital learning.
Perth	Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender & Intersex Rights in Ageing (GRAI) Incorporated	$20,000	Pride in Service Book Club is a place-based, facilitated peer-connection program designed to support LGBTIQA+ ADF members, Defence families that include LGBTIQA+ members, and allies (note participation in the project is available to persons 18 years or older). The program will be delivered through monthly, in-person book club sessions in the Perth/Peel regions, creating culturally safe spaces for connection, reflection, and shared experience. Each session uses shared reading as an accessible, non-clinical tool to support reflection, discussion, and peer connection. Reading materials are carefully curated to prompt conversation about identity, relationships, resilience, family life, and lived experience rather than literary critique.
Puckapunyal Seymour	Gnarly Neighbours	$133,333	The project delivers free, year-round programs to support Defence children and families in the Puckapunyal–Seymour region, fostering resilience, confidence, and community connection. Weekly after-school sessions at The Neighbourhood youth hub combine skateboarding, creative workshops, and social activities to help young people build friendships and a sense of belonging. In-school programs at three high-Defence-enrolment schools support integration and engagement, while holiday programs keep families connected during breaks.
Rockingham	Ngala Community Services	$107,408	Defence Kids – Connected & Confident is a targeted social‑emotional wellbeing program for Defence children aged 8–12, designed to build confidence, emotional literacy, coping skills and peer connection in response to relocations, deployments and disrupted social networks. Delivered in small groups by qualified Ngala practitioners using evidence‑informed, trauma‑aware and culturally respectful practice, the program combines weekly workshops, optional one‑to‑one mentoring and parent engagement sessions to strengthen skills at home.
Sutherland Shire Georges River Bayside Randwick	Sutherland Shire Family Services Inc (The Family Co)	$126,284	The Family Co – Defence Family Support Hub is a wraparound, multi-access service supporting the wellbeing, resilience, and social connection of Australian Defence Force families. Delivered by experienced staff across two locations, the Hub services families in the Sutherland Shire, Georges River, Bayside, and City of Randwick LGAs—areas with limited Defence-specific supports. Through tailored group programs, outreach, referrals, and online engagement, the Hub responds flexibly to the challenges of Defence family life while improving access to community and specialist services.
Sydney	3Bridges Community Limited	$70,000	The 3Bridges First Circle project will deliver intensive, early‑intervention support to Defence families with babies over two years, strengthening secure attachment, parental confidence, and healthy early development during a period of heightened vulnerability. Through flexible home‑based and community‑based supports—including parent mentor visits, specialised playgroups, evidence‑informed parenting programs, and family support worker assistance— the project meets families where they are and responds to the unique pressures of Defence life.
Sydney Melbourne Perth Darwin Adelaide	Waves of Wellness Foundation Ltd	$108,000	Waves of Wellness Foundation (WOW) will deliver surf therapy programs nationally for Defence families, providing evidence‑based early‑intervention mental health support that strengthens wellbeing, reduces isolation, and builds resilience during transitions. Each 8‑week program combines learn‑to‑surf instruction with guided mental health discussions, CBT‑based tools, and peer connection, facilitated by trained surf instructors and dual‑qualified mental health clinicians with lived experience of service‑related challenges.
Townsville	Cowboys Charity Limited	$92,253	The Cowboys Community Foundation (CCF) will deliver a place-based wellbeing and connection project for Defence families across North Queensland, focusing on Townsville, Cairns and selected remote locations. As the community arm of the North Queensland Cowboys, CCF is uniquely positioned to engage Defence families through trusted, non-clinical and family-friendly settings that reduce barriers to participation and support early, preventative wellbeing. Delivered in partnership with local Defence Member and Family Support (DMFS) teams, the project responds to the unique pressures of Defence life, including mobility, separation, transition and isolation.
WA wide (online) Perth	Women’s Legal Service WA	$129,251	Women’s Legal Service WA will deliver a 16‑month hybrid legal education program tailored for women in ADF families, providing practical guidance on family, domestic and sexual violence, mobility‑affected family law, and safe pathways to support. Through workshops—in‑person across key Defence catchments and online—alongside reusable resources, including a Defence‑adapted Parenting from Afar through Connection and Trust (PACT) guide and companion microsite, the program offers confidential, independent legal education that reduces barriers to help‑seeking in close‑knit Defence communities.

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the Basic Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between Australia and Japan.

Signed in 1976, the Treaty laid the foundation for a partnership built on trust, shared values and mutual prosperity.

Five decades on, Australia and Japan are close friends and Special Strategic Partners, working closely together to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific that is peaceful, stable and prosperous.

As announced by both Prime Ministers in May this year, a new Australia–Japan Leadership Dialogue will bring together leaders from across government, academia, business and civil society to help further strengthen bilateral ties.

I am pleased to announce that former Foreign Minister and Defence Minister Stephen Smith will be Australia’s Chair of the new dialogue. Mr Smith is eminently qualified to identify opportunities to deepen this important relationship.

The Australia–Japan Foundation has also awarded grants to three projects that will strengthen ties with Japan over the next year:

• The Shepherd Centre will collaborate with Macquarie University, Cochlear Ltd. and Japanese partners to deliver a program bringing together young Australians and Japanese people living with hearing loss, alongside clinicians and researchers, to share and compare experiences.
• The National Federation of Australia Japan Societies and the Australia–Japan Business Cooperation Committee will arrange an event at Parliament House to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Treaty. 
• Japanese drumming group Byron Taiko will perform with Indigenous musicians at festivals across NSW and Queensland. The performances will be captured in a documentary to create a lasting record of this commemoration.

The Australia–Japan Foundation is Australia’s oldest cultural council. Its programs and networks have supported our engagement with Japan and strengthened our community and cultural links across generations.

Ahead of the inquiry into Labor’s tax changes beginning in parliament next Monday, the Greens call on Labor to scrap tens of billions in tax handouts for professional property investors and redirect the money into what could be a $2200 cost of living relief payment for every renter and mortgage holder in the country.

PBO analysis, based on ATO data for 2023-24, reveals people with two or more investment properties claimed an eye-watering $33 billion in tax handouts that year. This included 11,000 landlords with 7+ houses who claimed $1.9 billion from 98,100 investment properties. 

The data shows Labor’s grandfathering of property investor handouts locks in tax benefits to people at the top end of town, while renters and mortgage holders bear the brunt of an unfair housing market.

Not only does Labor’s excessive grandfathering represent a massive budget expenditure on the ultra wealthy, it also disincentivises existing property investors from selling these homes to first home buyers. Labor has, by accident or design, created a class of “unicorn” assets with favourable tax settings for people who already own multiple properties, and those property investors will now be incentivised to retain and reborrow against these assets in perpetuity.

Leader of the Australian Greens, Larissa Waters: 

“Australians are suffering through the worst cost of living crisis in memory and Labor has chosen to lock in $33 billion worth of tax handouts to protect property barons.

“For the same amount of money the government spends on tax handouts to multiple property landlords, they could give a $2200 cost of living payment to every Australian renter and mortgage holder.

“For a budget sold on generational inequity, this is the sort of top-end tax handout that should have been scrapped to encourage mega landlords to sell properties to first home buyers.

“Instead Labor is rewarding property hoarding.”

Greens spokesperson on Economic Justice & Treasury, Nick McKim: 

“The data shows Labor is working for the wealthy investors, locking in tax handouts stacked in favour of professional property speculators.

“The biggest beneficiaries of Labor’s grandparenting sit at the top end of town, exactly where Labor should start scrapping publicly funded handouts in the name of fairness.

“If you take away the tax perks, it becomes less attractive to hold onto multiple properties as a tax shelter, and that shifts the incentive to sell to first home buyers.

“Labor’s own housing plan is so heavily grandparented that it is only expected to free up 75,000 homes over a decade. But there are 1.7 million houses still being treated as tax-preferred unicorn assets. 

“That keeps the pressure on the market and makes it harder for first home buyers to compete.”

The costings can be found here.

The third hearing of the Greens-led Senate inquiry into intergenerational housing inequity, has painted a picture of younger generations being ripped off, locked out of the housing market, forced into insecure housing and delaying major life decisions.

Evidence to the committee today showed:

• Australian house prices are now at historical highs and are approaching the most extreme levels recorded internationally when measured against household income.
• Older Australians’ wealth growth has dramatically grown in the past 20 years, due to home ownership and super. Whereas. younger generations are increasingly locked into insecure, high-cost rental arrangements with little prospect of transition into ownership or stable long-term housing.
  • Around 60% of private renters are young people
• 81 per cent of Gen Z and Millennials say the cost of housing has affected the timing of major life decisions. 
• Home-ownership rates are falling particularly fast among younger, poorer Australians.
  • 35 years ago, most low-income younger households owned their own home. Today, only about one in five do.
• The confluence of a precarious labour market, stagnant wages, higher HECS debt and super is preventing young people from accessing home ownership, however, housing affordability is the biggest barrier.
• There’s a growing reliance on the bank of mum and dad, which entrenches inequality over time.
  • More than 57% (more than 1 in 2) parents have helped their children buy a house in the last 10 years. 
• More children are growing up in families experiencing homelessness. Children and young people who lack a safe and affordable home often go on to experience repeat homelessness, which perpetuates intergenerational inequality.

homelessness and Senator for South Australia, Barbara Pocock:

“Young people have drawn the short straw on housing in this country. Successive governments have failed young people.

“With record house prices, unlimited rent increases, sky high rents, insecure contracts, and record low vacancy rates, young people don’t stand a chance of getting a safe and secure roof over their heads. 

“Young people are literally putting their lives on hold because of the housing crisis. They are remaining living with their parents into their 30s, putting off studying or delaying marriage and having children.

“If that wasn’t enough, young people also face massive HECS debts, a precarious labour market, wages lagging behind inflation – all in a cost of living crisis.

“Young people are looking at their futures and asking why the government has screwed them?

“The lack of safe and affordable housing in our country is perpetuating the cycle of homelessness and entrenching intergenerational housing inequality.

“Reliance on the bank of mum and dad shouldn’t be how young people get into the housing market – it’s creating an intra-generational divide.

“We urgently need to dampen investor incentives, such as CGT discount and negative gearing, and build more social and affordable housing directly. Without this, entire generations will be left behind and that’s on the government.”

Public hearing link

The Greens have referred KPMG to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) for suspected corruption breaches, in the wake of recent multiple scandals, including allegations of misusing confidential client information to get more audit work and mistreating a whistleblower.

The Greens say Finance’s three month freeze on new KPMG contracts barely constitutes a slap on the wrist, let alone a ban. The Government currently holds 297 active contracts worth $653 million. Thirty-one of these totalling $24 million were sealed with government departments, including Finance, after the KPMG scandals were made public in March 2026.

Greens finance and public service spokesperson Senator Barbara Pocock: 

“I’ve referred KPMG to the NACC because the Government is too deep in contracts worth millions to be able to act independently. Labor has rose coloured glasses for the Big 4 even when they behave unethically.

“A three month freeze on new contracts is a slap on the wrist with a stick of limp celery. There is no ban on extensions to the current 297 contracts and we know the Big 4 make their real money in contract extensions – who can forget the BoM’s $96 million website bungle.

“Three months is a holiday, not a punishment. It shows how much power KPMG has over the Government.

“The Government has learned nothing from the PWC scandal. They are giving the second of the Big 4 – KPMG –  a second chance when they have shown us that their ethics are for sale.

“If this was an ordinary worker – not a Big 4 partnership raking in billions – using confidential information for gain, cheating on an exam or mistreating a whistleblower – you’d be out on your ear, you’d be dismissed in a flash.

“We are being taken for mugs. KPMG holds an unbelievable $653 million in current contracts with the Commonwealth who allow the Big 4 to operate by their own rules.

“It’s one rule for the big end of town who rub shoulders with the PM and Ministers and write annual cheques to the government, and another for the average worker or Australian tax payers.

“No wonder ordinary Australians are cynical about politics and pulling their vote away from the major parties. This is billionaire political influence over the government. 

“When will Labor show a bit of backbone and call these marauding cowboys to account?

“It is time to implement the recommendations of earlier inquiries: subject these massive partnerships to the same rules of tax, transparency and whistleblowing as other large entities through corporations law, separate the functions of consultancy from audit and regulate them properly.”