Preface
The beginning of the new year,
A number of policy changes in Australia,
Drug prices,
Subsidy increase,
Child care,
New crown new version,
It’s about every aspect of life!
01：Australia’s various policies have undergone major changes.
Officially Implemented Today
It is said that the new year brings new weather. At the beginning of 2023, the Australian government has also implemented a number of new regulations. These new regulations are closely related to everyone’s life.
Today we will analyze what changes will come to our lives on the first day of 2023!
Subsidy Increase
Since January 1, Centrelink has adjusted a number of subsidies, benefiting more than one million people.
- Youth Allowance will increase by A$19.10-41.40 every fortnight;
- The study subsidy will increase by A$32.40-41.40 every two weeks;
- The Disability Support Supplement increases by A$27.40-40.70 every fortnight. This adjustment is only for subsidy recipients under the age of 21 and without children.
In addition to the above subsidies, there are a number of subsidies that will be raised across the board, including assistance for orphaned children, transportation subsidies for people with disabilities over the age of 16, Double Orphan Pension, Carer Allowance and Pharmaceutical Allowance ) will also be fully increased in 2023.
Mobile Phone Ban
From January 1, 2023, all public high schools in South Australia will completely ban students from using mobile phones.
This also makes South Australia the fourth region to introduce this regulation after the Northern Territory, Victoria and Western Australia. The NSW Labor Party has promised that if it wins the 2023 state election, it will also implement the same regulation.
New Maritime Regulations
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has developed a national qualifications framework for those working in the domestic commercial marine industry.
From January 1, 2023, 5 new qualifications will be introduced, and the old qualifications that existed in the past will be phased out.
Regulatory definitions will also be changed to clarify when common qualifications are required, and new criteria for fitness assessments of captains and crews of domestic commercial vessels will also be introduced, incorporating some existing exemptions and introducing offshore requirements for some qualifications. Changes to the Service.
Transparency in home care prices
According to the new regulations, from January 1, 2023, home care service providers must abide by the new regulations. For families who do not receive services other than nursing management, if they want to choose to cancel the service within one month, the service provider shall not receive any withdrawal fees, additional fees for third-party goods or services, and package management fees.
The rule change is to make prices for home care packages more transparent.
Tax Adjustment
From January 1, for annual taxable wages above the A$1.3 million threshold, the tax deduction for the excess will be reduced by 1/7.
Meanwhile, the tax deduction drops to zero when your taxable wages reach $10.4 million.
Note that your annual and final deduction may be based on two different deduction calculations for the financial year ending 30 June 2023, as the change will take effect during the current financial year Law.
Adjustments to PBS drug benefit subsidy
Starting from January 1, Australia’s drug welfare subsidy program has been fully upgraded. The maximum cost of drug expenditure has dropped from the original 42.5 Australian dollars to 30 Australian dollars, a direct drop of 12.5 Australian dollars, a drop of more than 29%. It is also the first significant reduction in drug prices in 75 years.
The Australian government hopes to alleviate the living pressure of Australians in this way. After all, inflation in Australia is serious and the cost of living expenses is high. Lowering drug prices is also to reduce the burden on the Australian people.
Child Care
From January 1, child care providers will no longer be able to offer financial incentives or incentives that are not directly related to the quality of education and care.
Cash or vouchers, iPads, tablets or other electronic devices, and other gifts will all be banned under the new rules.
New Regulations on Epidemic Prevention
The Australian government stated that from January 1, 2023, the PCR nucleic acid covered by Medicare requires a doctor’s or nurse’s advice to provide testing. If you do not have the advice of a doctor or nurse, you can only go to a PCR testing facility operated by a state or territory.
Under the new rules, high-risk groups will be prioritized for PCR testing, for which the government will allocate $2.8 million.