Increases to asset and income thresholds means thousands of pensioners will be entitled to more benefits and larger payments.
Couples who are asset-tested will get a $34.50 per fortnight increase and singles will get $22.50 as thresholds increase with inflation.
From July 1, the asset cut-off point will also be reduced from $481,500 to $470,000 for couples and from $321,500 to $314,000 for singles.
Changes to NDIS provider rates
The maximum rates NDIS providers can charge some participants will be lowered as part of the scheme’s annual pricing review.
An independent report showed many NDIS therapy pricing limits were, in some cases, up to 68 per cent higher than broader market rates.
Various therapy price points, including for physiotherapy and some mental health services, have been adjusted to be in line with non-NDIS market rates.
Minimum wage to rise
The minimum wage will increase by 3.5 per cent from July 1, taking the hourly rate from $24.10 to $24.95.
This represents an increase of more than $40 a week, making the national minimum wage $948 per week based on a 38-hour work week.
The Fair Work Commission made the decision as it found the real value of modern award wages had fallen by 4.5 per cent since July 2021 relative to inflation.
Employers to pay more super
Employers must contribute a higher minimum amount of superannuation to employees from July 1, rising from 11.5 per cent to 12 per cent.
The 12 per cent rate will be applied to all salaries and wages paid to eligible workers and is the current final increase under the super guarantee percentage.
The new rate is expected to make a significant contribution to younger workers’ superannuation funds over the decades before retirement.
Changes to parental leave
Working parents will now be paid super when they take paid parental leave, helping to address financial gender inequity issues.
Certain families will also see an increase to the number of paid parental leave days, rising from 110 to 120.
Parents and carers of children born or adopted from July 1 will be eligible for the increased number of leave days.
Centrelink payment increase
A 2.4 per cent indexation on payments and thresholds from Services Australia will increase payments from July 1.
Most Centrelink payments will see the increase, including the Age Pension, Jobseeker, and Parenting Payment.
Income and asset test limits for some payments will also be raised, meaning more people may become eligible or receive an increase to payments.
Road rule changes
Victorian drivers must slow to 40km/h when passing an incident response vehicle displaying lights of any colour, including tow trucks and RACV vehicles.
Across the country, AI-powered surveillance cameras will be rolled out to detect drivers who are using or touching their phones, with fines of up to $1209 for those caught.
The high-tech cameras are already operating in Victoria and can also detect seatbelt usage.
Batteries for homes and businesses
Households and small businesses may be eligible for a 30 per cent discount on the upfront cost of installing small-scale battery systems from July 1.
The discount will be based on a solar battery’s usable capacity and will gradually decrease until 2030.
The Clean Energy Regulator will administer the program under the small-scale renewable energy scheme.
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