Happy New Year!
With the onset of the new year, there is always the onset of a number of changes to the Australian Legal Framework. This article serves as a guide for you to understand these changes and how they may impact your life.
The changes to Australian laws that may impact you in 2026 are:
Cash Handling Mandate
From the 1st of January, new laws have come into force which mandate most fuel and grocery retailers to accept cash payments for purchases below the value of $500. The affected businesses are allowed to reject cash payments of below $500 outside of the hours between 7am and 9pm. Furthermore, the new regulations do not apply to small businesses, which are defined as businesses with a turnover of less than $10 million annually. These laws will be in force for three years, at which point the Commonwealth Government will review the effect of the laws.
Increases to Child Care Subsidy
From the 5th of January, all families who are eligible for the Child Care Subsidy will be able to receive 72 hours of subsidised childcare a fortnight. This can be extended to 100 hours of subsidised childcare a fortnight if you and your partner each work more than 48 hours a fortnight. As part of the new test of eligibility, the recognised forms of activity have extended to include completing unpaid internships and approved courses of study. The normal eligibility criteria in relation to matters including family income, the child being 13 years of age or under, immunisation for the child being up to date and residency also apply.
Reduction in Medicine Costs
As part of a reduction in prices of medications covered by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, all medicines included in the scheme will now be capped at $25 a script, reduced from the 2025 price of $31.60 a script. Pensioners will continue to pay only $7.70 per script. This comes as fulfillment of an election promise by the Albanese Government.
Passport Cost Increases
The news on the cost-of-living front is not so good if you are looking at overseas travel in 2026.
Despite Australia already having one of the most expensive passports globally, the cost of an Australian passport will again rise this year. The price will increase from $412 to $422 for an adult passport (10 years). However, in good news for travellers, the Australian passport remains one of the strongest globally, ranking 7th for the most countries accessible visa-free, allowing holders to visit 185 countries without a prior visa.
Taxation and Superannuation Changes
For those earning more than $18,200 a year, the rate of taxation will change later this year as a result of the reduction in the lowest tax rate from 16% to 15%. This will result in a saving of up to $268 for each taxpayer.
Additionally, all superannuation contributions will now have to be made by employers on the same day as pay day. This changes from the previous system, where employers were only required to make contributions to superannuation four times a year. These changes will come into effect as of 1 July 2026.
Australian Centre for Disease Control
From 1 January 2026, the Australian Centre for Disease Control will open. It will be responsible for monitoring potential outbreaks of disease and leading coordination efforts in the event of a major outbreak. It represents a major part of the Government looking to learn from the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Social Media Ban
The social media ban for those under the age of 16 is now in full force since the 10th of December 2025. The ban extends to platforms including, but not limited to, YouTube, X (formally known as Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Reddit and Twitch. The law placed the burden on these social media companies to ensure that no users on their platform are under the age of 16 years. Companies will face fines of up to $49.5 million if they do not comply with these new laws.
These laws come in light of concerning statistics from the Australian eSafety Foundation that 52% of children experience cyberbullying. These laws seek to address this pressing danger as well as the risks of exploitation of children on social media. However, some have voiced concerns that the ban is overly punitive and unduly restricts children’s freedom of speech.
New Laws Combating Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism
In the wake of the Bondi Tragedy, the Albanese Government moved to introduce laws combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism. The new laws make it illegal to publicly promote or incite racial hatred where the conduct would cause a reasonable person to feel intimidated, harassed or fear violence. The laws also grant new powers for the cancellation of visas for those who spread hate, as well as establishing a National Gun Buyback Scheme and strengthening firearms regulations.
With a constantly evolving legal landscape, it is vital that you stay informed of changes occurring within the legal landscape. If you have any questions regarding these changes or advice on how such new laws may affect you, please reach out to our team at Lynn & Brown. You can contact us at www.lynnandbrown.com.au or by calling 9375 3411.
About the Author: This article is co-authored by Jacqueline Brown & Myles Brown
