New laws on cash payments, passports, childcare and more from January 1
An election year is always full of promises, and many of Labour’s promises from the 2025 election campaign and beyond come into effect in the new year. But among the subsidies and sweeteners, there are also the odd unintended wage increase.
Here are what changes will happen on January 1?
You can pay for your needs in cash
Businesses that sell essential goods such as food or fuel Need to accept cash for payment. This means most retailers will have to accept cash for in-person transactions of up to $500 between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. starting January 1, 2026.
Small businesses with a total annual turnover of less than $10 million will benefit from the exemption, unless they choose to share their trademark with a larger retailer, for example on a market stall.
Finance Minister Jim Chalmers said this month that the change would ensure Australians dependent on cash would not be left behind.
Decline in physical money use He raised concerns that older Australians and bush people could be in a difficult situation providing access to cash for daily use.
Australia retains its title as the world’s most expensive passport
The cost of a new 10-year adult passport will be $10 more in 2026 than the previous year, rising from $412 to $422.
The organization will prepare the country for public health emergencies and monitor the spread of the disease.
Australia was the only country in the OECD, a major international standard-setting body, that did not have its own center for disease control. It was launched at a time when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control was rocked by controversy over edicts from Trump administration health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Australia said.
Three-day child care guarantee begins
Shortly after New Year’s Eve, on 5 January, families eligible for the government’s Childcare Benefit will be able to access subsidized childcare three days a week.
Known as the three-day guarantee, a couple earning less than $530,000 will be provided with at least 72 hours of child care support every two weeks.
Parents will be entitled to 100 hours of subsidized care every fortnight if either parent works or studies for more than 48 hours during that time, or if an exemption applies.
activity testing, this limited the amount of help parents received depending on how many hours they workedIt will be removed to increase accessibility for low-income families.
“Our three-day guarantee will ensure every family can afford three days of high-quality early education,” the Prime Minister said when he announced the changes for 2024.
Energy discount has ended
Australians can expect to pay more on their electricity bills in the new year after Labor scrapped its energy rebate.
Finance Minister Jim Chalmers announced Labor will not extend this month’s $300 electricity bill subsidy beyond December 31.
He said ending the subsidy, which will cost $2 billion to maintain for another six months, marked a change in the government’s approach to tackling cost-of-living pressures and stopping consumers’ dependence on direct cash support.
Single adults receiving Youth Allowance who have no dependents and live away from home will receive an additional $20.90 per fortnight, for a maximum payment of $684.20.
Those receiving Maintenance Allowance will receive a further $3.30 per fortnight, bringing the payment to $162.60.
Income thresholds for student payments and the parental income test threshold for Youth Allowance and Abstudy will also increase.
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Brittany Busch is the federal politics correspondent for The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.
