Compiled by Melissa Blewitt

Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers is hoping a $75 quarterly energy rebate will be a winner with Condobolin and Lachlan Shire voters, as well as those all across the country.

The initiative, announced in the Federal Budget on Tuesday, 14 May will mean all Australians will get a $300 yearly rebate on their energy bills. A total of $75 will be taken directly off electricity bills every three months.

About one million small businesses will also get a $325 handout, if their energy consumption is below a “small customer” threshold.

Households and eligible small businesses will not have to do anything to get the rebate, as it will be automatically applied.

The revamped Stage Three Tax Cuts will also flow from 1 July, meaning lower to middle income earners will have more of their wage in their pockets.

Other measures such as a boost to rent assistance, a freeze on subsidised medicine prices and means tested income support for some students on unpaid practical placements were aimed at those on low and fixed incomes.

However, cost of living, remains the number one concern to Australians, who are finding it hard to make ends meet with ever-increasing prices on groceries, fuel, and other everyday expenses.

COST OF LIVING

•$300 energy bill rebate for all households and $325 for a million small businesses.

•Five-year price freeze on medicines for pensioners/concession card holders at$7.70, one year freeze for general public at $31.60.

•12-month ACCC inquiry into supermarkets, review of Food and Grocery Code, and Choice to publish quarterly supermarket price comparisons.
TAXES

•Stage Three Tax Cuts amended to benefit low and middle income earners in a package worth $359 billion over 10 years.
HEALTH

•$2.2 billion for aged care, including $531.4 million for an extra 24,100 homecare packages

•$361 million to strengthen mental health system, with a national digital service to support 150,000 people a year.

•$227 million for 29 extra Medicare Urgent Care Clinics

•$13 billion for Public Hospitals

•$319.50 weekly payments for student nurses, midwives, social workers doing mandatory placements from July 2025.

•$49.1 million for female gynecological conditions, including endometriosis.

WELFARE

•Freeze extended on deeming rates for 876,000 income support recipients, including 450,000 age pensioners.

•$45.5 million to establish an NDIS Evidence Advisory Committee

HOUSING

•$11.3 billion to build 1.2 million homes by the end of the decade for women in crisis, low income families and the homeless.

•$1.9 billion for loans to help build 40,000 social and affordable homes.

•$1.9 billion to increase maximum rates of Commonwealth Rent Assistance by 10 per cent.

ENVIRONMENT

•$13.7 billion in production tax incentives for green hydrogen and processed critical minerals.

•$1 billion for the production of solar panels.

•$519.1 million for farmers to prepare for droughts.

INDIGENOUS

•$700 million remote jobs program

•$4 billion remote housing program for the Northern Territory.

DEFENCE

•$101.8 million to create an industrial workforce of welders, ship builders and missile makers

•$5.7 billion boost over four years and an extra $50.3 billion in the next decade.

•$51 billion to accelerate a program for long range strike capabilities.

•$11.1 billion to deliver Navy’s surface combat fleet.

•$14 – $18 billion to bolster Australia’s northern bases and collective security of Indo-Pacific.

•$7 to $10 billion for 26 new landing craft for Army’s amphibious restructure.

•$53 – $63 billion to acquire AUKUS nuclear powered submarine capability.

INDUSTRY

•$566.1 million Future Made in Australia policy over 10 years to support Australian innovation and industry, including clean energy and advanced manufacturing.

SUPER

•Up to 22 weeks of super payments (12 per cent) for 180,000 plus recipients of Commonwealth parental leave payments, starting next financial year.

•Tax on earnings from super fun balances above $3 million to rise from 15 to 30 per cent.

•Employers to pay super at the same time as wages from July 2026, meaning the average worker will be $6,000 better off by retirement.

EDUCATION

•$53 billion worth of the HECS debt wiped for more three million Australians, backdated to 1 July, 2023.

•$319.50 weekly payments for eligible teaching students undertaking mandatory professional placements from July 2025.

•$350 million for free uni-ready courses.

•$90 million for 20,000 new fee-free TAFE and VET places and pre-apprenticeships.

•$6.5 million for a trial of online age verification tech to stop young people viewing pornography and violent content.

SMALL BUSINESS

•Extending instant asset write-off; small businesses with a turnover of less than $10 million will be able to deduct assets costing less than $20,000 until 30 June 2025.

CHILDCARE

•Childcare workers, who currently earn $23 an hour, will get a boost to their wages.

SPORT

•$250 million to overhaul the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra to boost chances of medals at the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games.

LAW AND ORDER

•$160 million to establish a national firearms register.

•$925 million to support people fleeing abusive relationships.

•$11 million for an app alerting Australians in real time if somebody tries to use their data to commit fraud.

•An extra $100 million to set up a National Crime Intelligence System.