Top changes coming into effect after July 1:
- PAYMENTS AND SUPER
* About three million workers on the minimum and award wages will receive a 3.5 per cent pay rise following a decision by the Fair Work Commission
* The superannuation guarantee will increase from 11.5 to 12 per cent, meaning employers must contribute a minimum of 12 per cent of a worker’s earnings to their super account
* The government will begin paying super to workers on paid parental leave
* More than 70,000 students in nursing, midwifery, teaching and social work will be eligible to receive $331.65 per week while doing mandatory prac placements as part of their degree
* The age pension will increase by $22.50 a fortnight for singles and $34.50 a fortnight for couples
- CLEAN ENERGY
* Households will be able to access a 30 per cent discount on purchasing and installing home battery systems
* Enforcement of vehicle efficiency standards will begin, which will ensure new cars save money at the petrol bowser but could result in higher prices at the dealership
Workers on paid parental leave will start receiving superannuation. (Jane Dempster/AAP PHOTOS)
NDIS
* NDIS physiotherapy rates will decrease by $10 an hour, podiatry and dietetics will drop $5 an hour and psychology will increase $10 an hour while most other services will not be indexed.
* Travel claims for NDIS therapists will be halved and the agency administering the scheme will be able to make changes to participants’ plans without having to go through a full plan reassessment
- BILLS
* Energy bills will increase by up to 9.1 per cent for some customers as changes to the energy regulator’s default market offer kick in
* Internet bills are also set to rise as the NBN hikes average wholesale prices by up to $1.71 per month
- BUSINESS REGULATION AND FEES
* A new merger notification regime will come into effect on a voluntary basis, requiring businesses to notify the ACCC ahead of an acquisition
* Interest charges on overdue tax debts will no longer be tax deductible, meaning businesses will incur the full cost of 10.78 per cent extra on outstanding taxes
* Registering a business name with ASIC will increase by $1 to $45 while registering a new proprietary company now costs $611, up from $597
Source: AAP