Over the past 12 months, political, economic and social contexts have changed dramatically, both in Australia and across our region. CPD’s mission to advance fair and sustainable solutions to the most pressing challenges of our time has never felt more vital. I am immensely proud of the impact our team has delivered this year. Across every focus area, we’ve seen meaningful progress.
In all this, CPD has played a crucial role in ensuring policy decisions are fair, sustainable, and put the needs of people and the environment at the forefront.
Andrew Hudson
CEO, Centre for Policy Development
Learn more about the impact our programs and initiatives had on the policy landscape both at home and abroad.
Early learning reform stayed on track in a difficult year. We cautioned against knee-jerk responses and refocused attention on the changes needed to ensure all families can access high-quality, affordable early education. The government stayed the course, legislating a universal Three-Day Guarantee and examining system funding.
Beyond early childhood, we secured a major win with the Productivity Commission’s recommendation to embed collaborative commissioning in the design of social services. CPD has advocated for this approach for several years, which would see agencies and service providers work together to understand what different communities actually need, and then design and fund services around those needs.
These reforms reflect what CPD has long championed: systems designed with, and for, the people they serve—building dignity, opportunity, and lasting impact from the ground up.
Our work on Avoidable Costs showed how tackling issues early can save money and improve lives. The Productivity Commission endorsed this shift with a prevention framework shaped by CPD’s proposals.
Echoing longstanding CPD recommendations, Victoria and Tasmania adopted wellbeing strategies and frameworks to look beyond traditional economic indicators, and guide policy around what matters most to people and the environment.
And CPD’s work was reflected in independent MP Dr Sophie Scamps’ Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill, which proposes legislating a Commissioner for Future Generations to advocate for Australians’ long-term interests, and a ‘national conversation’ to build a shared vision for the country’s future.
We will continue to advocate for policies that put the needs of families, communities and the natural environment at the heart of our economic and policy thinking in Australia.
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In a year of upheaval for the humanitarian sector, we drove progress on the rights of refugees. Our Asia Dialogue on Forced Migration remained a critical forum for sharing innovative responses to global aid cuts—such as Thailand’s decision to grant work rights to refugees living in border camps, and fast-track citizenship and permanent residency. By bringing together senior officials and experts across Southeast Asia, we showed that stronger rights for refugees benefit both refugees and local communities.
Our advocacy also contributed to ASEAN draft guidelines to keep children out of immigration detention and with their families. Forums like CPD’s Alternatives to Child Detention platform were recognised as key to supporting implementation within member states, to help ensure children and families seeking safety are treated with dignity, protected from harm, and supported to rebuild their lives in the region.
CPD will continue to work with officials, policymakers and experts from across the region to improve the lives of displaced people and families—because nobody should be put at risk simply for seeking safety.
Following CPD’s advice, the government is considering lower return targets for its investment vehicles like the National Reconstruction Fund and Clean Energy Finance Corporation, which would unlock investment in earlier-stage, higher-reward projects. Plus, government commitments to green metals, critical minerals and green hydrogen are now shaping regional opportunities and jobs, reflecting recommendations from our Green Gold report.
We highlighted how the federal budget undervalues the rising costs of climate disasters, with our advice already shaping Independent MP Zali Steggall’s Climate Bill, informing the Climate Change Authority, and now being explored by policymakers. Accurately accounting for these costs would drive more investment in resilience and better support communities on the frontline.
We also helped shift thinking in Australia and Indonesia toward ensuring communities, especially those most affected by the net zero transition, share in its benefits. We influenced a major review of Australia’s National Electricity Market, and our recommendations are being integrated into Indonesia’s national just transition framework.
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