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Experts have welcomed a permanent Australian Centre for Disease Control (CDC) after legislation passed the Senate on Wednesday but there are concerns about key health issues missed by the agency’s current remit.
While an interim Centre for Disease Control has been operating within the federal health department since January 2024, and the government has already committed $251 million over four years to establish the agency, the legislation outlines the centre’s functions and establishes its independence.
The helm of the new center will be taken by a director-general, whose appointment comes from the health minister, with operations set to commence on January 1, 2026.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Minister Jenny McAllister said in the Senate on Wednesday the centre was designed to “strengthen our public health capability, improve pandemic preparedness and safeguard the health and wellbeing of all Australians — not just in times of crisis but every day”.
Health Minister Mark Butler said the agency delivered on the Albanese government’s commitment to “create an independent agency that will help protect Australia from diseases and public health threats”.
“We know there will be another pandemic and the Australian CDC will make sure we are better prepared,” he said.
The Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA), recognized as the leading authority in public health across the nation, described the legislation establishing an Australian CDC as the “most significant public health infrastructure in a generation.”
