Overview
- Health Minister Mark Butler introduced legislation in parliament to establish a federal Australian Centre for Disease Control.
- The independent statutory agency would open on 1 January 2026 if the bill passes, building on the interim CDC launched in January.
- The plan includes more than $250 million to set up the centre plus $73 million in ongoing funding from 2028–29.
- Butler said the CDC would fix leadership gaps and weak surveillance exposed by COVID-19, warning another pandemic is a matter of when.
- The Public Health Association backed the move, saying a national CDC would provide a central, credible source of information on threats like bird flu, misinformation and falling vaccination rates.