Australia’s plan for a stronger future is keeping Australians safe by:

The Government has:

Australia's strong and decisive response to COVID‑19

Through the biggest shock since the Great Depression, the Government's strong and decisive response has enabled Australia to achieve world leading health and economic outcomes.

Vaccination has enabled Australia to reopen safely, and is now the primary tool for managing the health impacts of the virus. The Government is prepared for winter, is ready to respond to future variants, and has a plan to secure our economic future.

Our world leading health response coupled with our economic plan means Australians can look forward to a stronger future.

A robust response to COVID‑19

The Government acted decisively to save lives and livelihoods

The Government acted decisively to save lives and livelihoods with $343 billion in direct health and economic support.

As the COVID‑19 situation has evolved, the Government has responded to the changing epidemiology of new variants, while progressing safely through the National Plan to Transition Australia's COVID‑19 Response.

In this Budget, the Government is providing an additional $6.0 billion in direct health support in response to the evolving COVID‑19 pandemic. This includes funding for the Winter Response Plan.

The Government's unprecedented $343 billion in direct health and economic support has kept Australians safe, and the economy secure.

Timeline of COVID‑19 in Australia

Protecting Australians' health

Throughout the pandemic the Government has been focused on safeguarding the health of Australians.

The Government took decisive action to protect the health of Australians during the COVID‑19 pandemic, committing $42 billion to bolster the health system.

This investment, combined with the Government's successful overall health response, has seen fewer deaths per million people from COVID‑19 than the US and the UK.

Ensuring a world‑class health system

Record investment since 2013 has supported Australia's world‑class health system

Australia's safe reopening thanks to investment in vaccines

Australia's investment in vaccines allowed us to reopen safely in line with our National Plan to Transition Australia's COVID‑19 Response

Vaccines protect the community against serious illness from COVID‑19.

Australia has achieved one of the highest vaccination rates in the world.

Over two‑thirds of eligible Australians have received a booster or third dose. Over 51.8 per cent of children aged 5 to 11 years have already had one dose.

Australia's evidence‑based reopening strategy focused on keeping Australians safe, with key milestones of our National Plan to Transition Australia's COVID‑19 Response linked to vaccination levels in the community.

Australia's high vaccination rates enabled the staged reopening of Australia's border to selected visa holders, including students, on 15 December 2021 and to remaining visa categories, including tourists, on 21 February 2022.

To prepare for future pandemics and COVID‑19 variants, the Government has secured an agreement with Moderna to establish an mRNA vaccine manufacturing facility in Australia that will be capable of producing up to 100 million doses a year.

Australia is prepared for winter

As we learn to live with COVID‑19 the Government is planning ahead for the winter months where we are likely to see an increase in Omicron and influenza.

The Winter Response Plan focuses on protecting people at high‑risk of severe illness, while supporting the economy. To do this, the Government is investing an additional $6.0 billion for the COVID‑19 health response to help keep Australians safe while ensuring the supply of essential goods and services.

Preparing for winter

As part of the Government’s additional $6.0 billion in COVID‑19 health expenditure, the Government is planning for winter and future variants.

A new approach to testing and treatments

Vaccines remain our best line of defence against COVID‑19

The Government is investing $1.0 billion to extend the COVID‑19 vaccine rollout program, ensuring all Australians can access a booster.

To further protect vulnerable Australians, the Government has secured a range of safe and effective treatments to prevent or reduce the severity of COVID‑19.

From 1 March 2022, an oral treatment for COVID‑19 can also be accessed by vulnerable Australians at risk of severe disease through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

A plan to manage co‑circulating COVID‑19 and influenza

'The more people that are vaccinated, that's our way of protecting each other and ourselves'

Paul Kelly, Chief Medical Officer

The Australian Government is preparing for the challenges that winter may present. Alongside the COVID‑19 response, the influenza vaccination program will be prioritised for those in vulnerable settings.

To protect Australians against severe disease from COVID‑19, the Government has secured a portfolio of COVID‑19 treatments totalling over one million courses. To facilitate access to treatments and medical care, the Government is investing $546.0 million to extend Medicare subsidies for pathology testing.

The RAT Concessional scheme, available to 6.6 million eligible concession card holders, will also be extended so vulnerable Australians can access more tests through winter.

Ensuring health system resilience

Bolstering health system capacity for the current and future pandemics

To support public hospitals and increase the capacity of the health system, the Government is providing an additional $984.0 million to states and territories. This brings the Government's total support for the state health response to COVID‑19 and vaccine rollout to $11.6 billion.

The Government is also investing in primary care to take pressure off hospitals and ensure Australians have access to the health care they need.

Governments are also working together to ensure we have appropriate surveillance to help identify new variants and monitoring of COVID‑19 and influenza.

Protecting vulnerable people

Ensuring all Australians can protect themselves against COVID‑19

To facilitate access to medical care and monitor outbreaks in vulnerable populations, the Government is extending access to a range of tests.

Medicare funded PCR testing will be extended to 30 September 2022, at a cost of $546.0 million. We are prioritising multiplex PCR testing for vulnerable people, so we can test for COVID‑19 and the flu at the same time, supporting access to targeted treatments.

The Government has purchased more than 95 million RATs, with distribution prioritised to vulnerable populations. Already 26.2 million RATs have been distributed to aged care facilities.

To assist Australians with a disability, the Government has invested in 5.5 million RATs for high-risk residential disability settings. Eligible NDIS participants can also purchase RATs from their NDIS plan to assist their access to funded services.

The Government is extending the RAT Concessional scheme to 31 July 2022. So far over 25 million free RATs have been received by more than 4 million concession card holders.

The Government is also extending supports to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, who are vulnerable to severe illness from COVID‑19. This includes $43.3 million to facilitate access to COVID‑19 services and vaccinations.

Ensuring readiness in residential aged care and disability

Delivering vaccines in residential aged care

Vaccination and booster in‑reach programs continue to be rolled out to residential aged care and disability facilities for residents and workers.

The Government is investing further in the training of nurses in residential aged care facilities, with $88.0 million over four years to support nurses to become authorised nurse immunisers and to establish grants for infection prevention and control training.

Funding of $22.1 million is being provided to maintain a dedicated inreach COVID‑19 PCR testing capability in aged care facilities.

Supporting the workforce

The Government has worked with the states and territories to ensure joint arrangements across jurisdictions to support facilities with outbreaks.

As at 18 March 2022, workforce surge staff have filled 86,306 shifts in aged care services impacted by COVID‑19. The Government has also deployed Defence personnel to support staff shortages in residential aged care facilities.

The Government has committed a further $215.3 million to support aged care workers with bonuses of up to $800.

Australia's economic recovery

Since the onset of the COVID‑19 pandemic, the Government has committed an unprecedented $314 billion in direct economic support.

The Government's response supported individuals and businesses, protecting jobs and stimulating the economy.

The Government's response saved lives and livelihoods and has seen the unemployment rate drop to 4.0 per cent – the equal lowest in 48 years.

The Government's decisive action kept many Australians in work and avoided costly labour market scarring as occurred in past recessions.

The resilience of our businesses and community – backed by our record level of economic support – has allowed the economy to rebound strongly ahead of the likes of the US, the UK, Canada, Germany, France, Japan and Italy.

The Government supported households through COVID‑19

Unprecedented economic support saved lives and livelihoods. Without intervention, Treasury estimated unemployment could have been 5 percentage points higher, potentially reaching 15 per cent during the worst of the downturn.

Support for families during the pandemic

The Government took action to ensure the Early Childhood Education and Care sector remained accessible for families.

The Government listed child care and schools as essential services and co‑funded, with states and territories, the provision of RATs to schools and child care centres. This support minimised disruption to attendance and helped children to continue to learn.

These measures ensured that many parents were able to maintain their employment during COVID‑19. Women's participation, in particular, has rebounded strongly with around 250,000 more women employed than pre‑COVID‑19.

Government support enabled businesses to survive

The Government responded decisively, supporting business investment, cash flow and jobs

The Government's response included

Digital Solutions Program

Through an expansion of its Digital Solutions Program in 2020‑21 and 2021‑22, the Government helped more small business than ever to undergo a digital transformation, helping them to thrive despite the challenging business conditions brought by the pandemic.

With additional investments of $19.8 million, the program is supporting an extra 20,000 small businesses with low cost, high quality, independent advice on a range of digital solutions designed to meet their business’s needs. Advice is available on websites and selling online, social media and digital marketing, using small business software, and online security and data privacy.

Backing hard hit sectors during the pandemic

The shift from economy wide support to more targeted assistance

Additional support for hard hit sectors

The Government provided additional support for sectors that were hardest hit by COVID‑19. This support kept planes in the air, ensured essential freight, safeguarded jobs in the tourism and arts sectors, and kick‑started the recovery in the housing sector.

Consumer Travel Support Program

The Government has delivered two rounds of targeted support for travel agents and tour arrangement service providers through the Consumer Travel Support Program. This Budget includes $75.5 million for a third and final round of the program to help these businesses rebuild and drive the tourism sector recovery.

Aviation Recovery Framework

Throughout COVID‑19, we committed over $5.3 billion in direct support to the aviation industry, keeping freight moving, regions connected, and maintaining the capability of the aviation sector. Our Aviation Recovery Framework sets out the plan to help Australia’s aviation industry emerge bigger, better and stronger on the other side of the pandemic.

HomeBuilder

HomeBuilder has successfully supported our residential construction sector through the COVID‑19 pandemic. Around 76,000 new homes have been built and 15,000 homes renovated under the program to date.

Creative Economy Support Package

Throughout the pandemic we supported the arts through the Creative Economy Support Package, which is now at $500 million. This Budget, an extra $20 million for the Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund will help activate more events and support jobs.

Job‑ready Graduates Package and Research Commercialisation Action Plan

The Government has provided extensive support for students, universities and researchers throughout the pandemic. The Job‑ready Graduates Package increased total funding for higher education to a record level of $20 billion in 2021. The university sector is also supported by the Government's Research Commercialisation Action Plan. This is a $2.2 billion investment in collaboration between industry and universities to promote a stronger economy in the wake of the pandemic.

Australia's economic transition

The fundamentals are now in place for a strong and sustained economic recovery.

The Australian economy has weathered every storm the pandemic has thrown at us. Through periods of lockdown, intermittent restrictions, or the recent Omicron wave, the community has adapted and become more resilient.

The economy is now sitting above pre‑pandemic levels and ahead of the US, the UK, Canada, Germany, France, Japan and Italy.

It is this underlying strength and resilience of Australia’s economy that now enables us to transition to the second phase of our fiscal strategy.

The time for large scale economy‑wide emergency support has passed.

The Budget is Australia's plan for a stronger future.

A COVID‑19 resilient economy

Our economic recovery plan is working

Australia's plan for a stronger future is focused on delivering a strong economy – one that provides more jobs for Australians and is more productive.

Working to a clear economic plan to create jobs and to avoid the scarring impact on the labour market, the unemployment rate has now reached 4.0 per cent, the equal lowest level in 48 years, and the participation rate reached a record high of 66.4 per cent. Business conditions continue to recover, and we have seen over one million arrivals to Australia since November 2021, including 130,000 international students.

With a strong recovery and low unemployment rate, the Government’s economic support is tapering down and private sector demand is now leading the way.

Significant monetary and fiscal support remains in the system, while household and business balance sheets are in a strong position.

Resilient business and supply chains

Now is the time for the private sector – which has already taken up the baton – to lead the way

Australia is resilient, but that doesn’t happen by chance. Resilience is the result of continued investment, monitoring, planning and adaptability by the Government and by business.

Australia is now transitioning to living with COVID‑19.

We are returning to normalised settings where a strong private sector is our first line of defence against supply chain vulnerabilities and is best placed to manage risk and deal with COVID‑19 related volatility.

We are better placed than ever to deal with COVID‑19. It is time for business to lead the way in living with COVID‑19, and continue to embed resilience into their business continuity plans.

Australia's international response to COVID‑19

Australia's ongoing assistance is key to addressing the health and economic challenges facing our region

Vaccine delivery, access, rollout and certification

Australia is committed to helping countries in our region access safe and effective vaccines to protect their populations, assist with economic recovery and promote stability.

We are sharing Australian doses. We are also partnering with UNICEF to procure additional doses for partner countries.

The Australian Government is investing $55.5 million over two years for a secure, internationally recognised COVID‑19 vaccination certificate.

This builds on the $523.2 million previously committed to the Regional COVID‑19 Vaccine Access and Health Security Initiative. It provides end‑to‑end support for vaccine rollouts in the Pacific and Southeast Asia and adds to Australia's landmark $100 million contribution to the Quad Vaccine Partnership.

Bilateral financial assistance

Australia is committed to working with bilateral partners in a coordinated international response to the global impact of COVID‑19. As our neighbours and close partners, the stability, resilience and economic prosperity of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea (PNG) are of fundamental importance to Australia and the Indo-Pacific region.