The Australian Government has announced a record investment of $508.5 million over four years to transform health and medical research in Australia, alongside the release of the National Health and Medical Research Strategy 2026–2036. The investment and strategy were announced concurrently, with the Budget commitment designed to provide immediate resourcing in support of the Strategy’s… Continue reading National Health and Medical Research Strategy 2026-2036
Category: Occasional Papers
Consultation on the Universities Accord Bill
On 08 May 2026, targeted consultation on the Universities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) Bill began. This Bill will implement two changes to university funding by implementing a Managed Growth Funding system and Needs-Based Funding. These are recommendations of the Universities Accord (the Accord), delivered in 2023, and follow the establishment of the Australian… Continue reading Consultation on the Universities Accord Bill
Consultation on the National Environmental Standard for Environmental Offsets
On 08 May 2026, the federal government opened consultation on the draft of the National Environmental Standard for Environmental Offsets (Environmental Offsets Standard). This follows a previous release of a draft Environmental Offsets Standard which was published for consultation from November 2025 to January 2026. The current exposure draft has been developed based on feedback… Continue reading Consultation on the National Environmental Standard for Environmental Offsets
Victorian Cabinet Reshuffle
On April 15, 2026, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan announced a cabinet reshuffle, prompted by the resignations of three ministers. Two days earlier, Ministers Danny Pearson, Mary-Anne Thomas, and Gayle Tierney announced their departure from their positions and confirmed they would not seek re-election in the upcoming November state election. Former Minister Natalie Hutchins announced her resignation at the end of 2025. The refreshed cabinet announced today sees four new… Continue reading Victorian Cabinet Reshuffle
Thriving Kids Advisory Group Final Report
On 3 February 2026, the Hon. Mark Butler MP released the Thriving Kids Advisory Group’s final report. This report’s release follows Minister Butler’s announcement of the Thriving Kids initiative at the National Press Club in August 2025. The Thriving Kids Advisory Group was co-chaired by the Minister Butler, and Professor Frank Oberklaid from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. National Cabinet has endorsed the model proposed by the Advisory Group. The State and Territory Governments have agreed to invest a combined total of $4 billion, with… Continue reading Thriving Kids Advisory Group Final Report