Last night, the Labor Government delivered its 2026–27 Federal Budget. Here is AHCSA’s early summary of what this means for our sector and our Mob.

Much of this budget’s impact on communities will be directed to:

• Fuel security
• Health and medicines
• Community safety programs
• Housing, infrastructure and essential services, and
• Employment opportunities.

Notably, there have been no targeted investments through this budget to address much needed reform in correctional and justice systems, broad workforce shortages and systemic racism. While the financial investments are valuable, their meaningful impact will rely on how the initiatives are governed and implemented in practice. AHCSA will continue to advocate for strong Aboriginal-led program governance across all cultural and commercial determinants of health, as well as funding going directly to ACCHOs so that impacts can be determined and delivered by our communities, for our communities.

“We welcome what this Budget has delivered. And we will keep making the case, respectfully and persistently, for the reform that takes us the rest of the way,” says NACCHO CEO, Dr Dawn Casey.