Passport fee rises as new year triggers law changes
AUSTRALIANS have just started to travel overseas again – and they will be hit with higher passport prices as new laws come into force.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed passport fees will rise annually on January 1 at the rate of inflation, taking the cost of a 10-year passport for people 16 and over to $308, compared to $301 last year.
A five-year passport for those travellers aged under 16 or 75 and over will cost $3 extra at $155. Emergency and replacement passports will cost $4 more at $193.
The priority-processing fee will rise by $5 to $225.
The overseas surcharge for adult applicants will be $138, compared to $135, and the surcharge for child applicants will rise by $1 to $67.
Those travelling and holidaying on our roads will also face road toll price hikes.
In Brisbane, the AirportLinkm7, which runs between Bowen Hills, Stafford and Nundah, will have its price adjusted.
A journey in a class two vehicle, or car, will increase on the Airportlinkm7 from Brown Hills to Kedron or Toombul by 3.85 per cent from $5.70 to $5.92. Those travelling from Kedron to Toombul will pay $4.43, up from $4.27.
With the arrival of the new year, other sectors will also be subject to change.
Under Medicare, telehealth services will continue, in a reworked format.
A new extended telephone consultation item for 20 minutes or longer for patients in rural and remote communities will be introduced.
On the Pharmaceutical
Benefits Scheme, Forxiga will be listed to treat symptomatic heart failure.
It will now cost $42.50 a script or $6.80 with a concession card instead of more than $630 a year.
Braftovi, a breakthrough medication to treat bowel cancer that usually costs $33,000 a year, will also be available to 340 patients for about $80 a script.
For older Australians, the Pension Loans Scheme interest rate will be cut to 3.95 per cent a year. Fortnightly payments will be affected. It also will be renamed as the Home Equity Access Scheme.
The Widow and Partner Allowance is ending on January 1 and recipients can transfer to the Age Pension.
The Disability Pension will be renamed “Disability Compensation Payment” to reflect it is not an income-support pension. The disability income rent test, which results in severely disabled veterans unfairly receiving less rent assistance, will also be axed.
Youth, student and carer allowances will get a 3.5 per cent increase each fortnight. The Youth Allowance will increase by $17.90 to $537.40.
For those aged 18 or over living at home it will rise by $12.40 to $371.60. The parental income threshold for Youth Allowance will also increase by $511 to $56,137 a year.
Older students on Austudy will get an increase of $17.90 to $537.40 and singles with children will get an increase of $23 to $688.20.
The Carer Allowance will increase by $4.60 to $136.50.
A child could also get a oneoff $3000 Tertiary Access Payment if they move from an inner-regional area for study.
In childcare, educators in preschools and long daycare will get a pay rise of between 3.3 per cent and 13.6 per cent.
Senior or “highly accomplished” teachers will earn a minimum of $85,688 in longdaycare centres and graduate teachers a minimum of $61,927, with curriculum managers paid a $3845 allowance a year on top.
In immigration, the federal government will extend Visa Application Charge waivers by a further six months for new Visitor visa applicants overseas where their visa expired, or will expire, between January 1 and June 30 this year.
In Queensland, infrastructure charge increases will only be applicable to development applications decided after January 1. This is to make sure developers contribute to their use of community networks such as water and roads.
Queensland landlords must also install interconnected smoke alarms in residential rental properties. All other dwellings must do it by 2027.
All regulated dogs in Queensland must also wear a collar that has red and yellow angled reflective stripes.
This is to alert people to restricted breeds, declared dangerous dogs and declared menacing dogs.