Published Impact Analyses

Link to announcement

Aged Care Legislation Amendment (Subsidy and Other Measures) Instrument 2025 - Federal Register of Legislation

Problem being addressed

The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety Final Report (Royal Commission) found that staffing levels in residential aged care were inadequate to support quality care to older people, and recommended that government adopt minimum care time requirements to ensure consistent and adequate staffing across all aged care homes. 

In October 2023, the Australian Government introduced mandatory care minutes requirements and substantially increased funding to aged care providers to fund them to increase their staffing to meet these requirements. 

Announcement date

4 September 2025

Link to announcement 

Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Technical Changes No. 2) Bill 2025

Problem being addressed

Income apportionment was a long-standing practice, dating back to the early 1990s, adopted to calculate social security debts for some people who earned employment income and received a social security payment. Use of the practice ceased in December 2020, when legislative changes made assessing employment income much simpler.

The historical use of income apportionment is now understood to be generally unlawful.

Announcement date
22 August 2025

Link to announcement 
ACECQA child safety report makes 16 recommendations 

Announcement date    
25 August 2025

Link to announcement 
https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2025L00984/latest/text

Problem being addressed
Home ownership rates have been falling in Australia over recent decades. Between 1994 and 2021, rates of home ownership declined from 71.4 per cent to 66.3 per cent. The ratio of housing prices to household disposable incomes has increased substantially in Australia over recent decades. The ‘deposit hurdle’ – the challenge of accumulating a sufficiently-sized deposit to purchase a home – has grown significantly. A broad range of households, particularly younger cohorts, face challenges in saving a deposit.

On 20 August 2025, the Minister for Social Services announced that the Australian Government would start to increase deeming rates from their relatively low levels introduced during COVID-19 to levels that more accurately reflect the returns pensioners and other payment recipients can reasonably access on their financial assets. From 20 September 2025, a deeming rate of 0.75% will apply to financial assets under $64,200 for singles and $106,200 for couples combined. Assets over this amount will be deemed at a rate of 2.75%.

Announcement date

The Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) Board approved Proposal P1055 - Definitions for gene technology and new breeding techniques on 4 June 2025 and on 25 July 2025 at the Food Ministers’ Meeting, Ministers agreed to not seek a review.  

Link to announcement 

The announcement can be found in the communiqué of outcomes from the Food Ministers' Meeting held on 25 July 2025. The approval report and supporting document can be found on the FSANZ web page for Proposal P1055.

Announcement date

After an announcement on 28 July 2025, the National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025 was introduced in the House of Representatives on 30 July 2025.

Link to announcement 

Media release and National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025 

Problem being addressed

Announcement date

The Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) Board approved Proposal P1059 - Energy labelling on alcoholic beverages on 7 April 2025 and on 25 July 2025 at the Food Ministers’ Meeting, Ministers agreed to not seek a review.  

Link to announcement 

The announcement can be found in the communiqué of outcomes from the Food Ministers' Meeting held on 25 July 2025. The approval report and supporting document can be found on the FSANZ web page for Proposal P1059.

Problem being addressed

Announcement date

24 July 2025

Link to announcement

https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=r7343

Problem being addressed

Announcement date
26 March 2025

Link to announcement 
ASIC Corporations (31-day Notice Term Deposits) Instrument 2025/172

Problem being addressed
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) Class Order [CO 14/1262] 31-day term deposits provided relief to allow term deposits which are only breakable upon 31 days’ notice to be treated as ‘basic deposit products’ despite not meeting the definition of that term in the Corporations Act.

The Class Order was due to sunset on 1 April 2025.