Overview

• The government will immediately fund 20,000 packages, add another 20,000 between November 1 and December 31, and roll out the remaining 43,000 of the promised 83,000 in the first half of 2026.
• Coordinated amendments from the Coalition, the Greens and independent senator David Pocock threatened Labor’s first Senate defeat of the term, triggering the concession.
• Official data show more than 121,000 people are waiting for assessment and at least 87,000 approved clients remain in the queue, with the approved waitlist rising to about 108,000 by July.
• Department officials confirmed the roughly 2,000 packages allocated each week are re‑released vacancies rather than net new places, with no increase in total supply since July 1.
• Sector leaders say providers can accept far more clients immediately, while ministers say the fiscal impact of bringing packages forward will be reflected in the December economic update.