Hoorah! Really bad puns and public health are the winners.
Australia will have a national Centre for Disease Control from 1 January 2026 after the two foundational bills for the permanent centre’s establishment passed successfully through Senate earlier this week.
The Greens successfully advocated for an amendment to ensure the CDC’s annual report includes the impact of climate change on health and an update on preparedness for future pandemics.
The CDC’s advisory committee will also include a First Nations representative and disabled person with health expertise, thanks to the Greens.
As a result, the bills will need a final tick of approval from the House of Representatives, but that is considered a formality, given the government’s majority.
Adjunct Professor Terry Slevin, CEO of the Public Health Association of Australia, said he and his colleagues in public health were “delighted” by the quick passage of the CDC legislation.
“This is a moment for the public health history books and is testament to the tenacity of countless people who’ve toiled for decades to achieve this,” he said.
“This centre will save lives, not just here but also overseas as it will increase our links with our neighbours.”
Efforts to get a CDC off the ground have been attempted since the late 1980s, the PHAA said. The latest push was the result of a recommendation from the national covid response inquiry.
The interim Australian Centre for Disease Control, which began in January 2024, will become a permanent agency effective 1 January 2026.
“The Australian CDC will provide evidence-based independent frank and fearless advice to the Australian government, state and territory governments, and the wider community on key public health issues,” said Professor Slevin.
“Today, Australia’s Parliament has helped the government to make a major, positive advance for the public’s health.
“We look with sadness at what the US government is doing to dismantle its CDC and attack independent, objective science.
“We are thankful our parliament and our government has shown their commitment to boost Australia’s health and expert scientific information, and we applaud them.
“This is a very good day for the health of current and future generations of people in Australia.”
Senator Jordan Steele-John led the Greens’ push for amendments.
“These amendments ensure climate change is mentioned specifically in the annual report as it relates to public health,” he said.
“They will ensure that there is consultation with community organisations in relation to policy setting.
“They will ensure that the centre has a clear direction in relation to the promotion of the health workforce and health research, and, critically, they will ensure that there is now and forever a permanent disabled representative on the Advisory Council.
“The disability community bore the brunt of the pandemic. So many of us lost loved ones, so many of us were confined to our homes. So many of us still must isolate in order to safeguard our health,” he said.
“If we can learn one thing from this event, it is that government must plan for these situations in a way which ensures there are responses, urgent responses that reflect the diverse needs of the Australian community.
“Because time is the precious substance in these situations. We should spend that time getting healthcare to people, not pulling together emergency working groups that we didn’t know we needed because there was nobody in the room sharing a disabled perspective in relation to the plan as it was actually being made.”
