In response to the impact of COVID-19, the Australian Health Minister, Mark Butler, highlighted the need for a dedicated CDC, describing the pandemic as the most significant national and global emergency in recent history. The proposed CDC will be established as a government body separate from the Department of Health, with its headquarters in Canberra and plans for a budget of $251.7 million once federal legislation is passed to bring the agency into existence.
The CDC's primary function will involve monitoring disease trends both domestically and internationally, focusing on communicable diseases to provide evidence-based advice to the government. The creation of a national database on communicable diseases that will be shared among federal, state, and territory levels is also recommended by the independent review, which the CDC will oversee. Notably, the CDC will keep an eye on diseases such as avian influenza and novel coronavirus strains, issuing early alerts if necessary, with an operational target of January 1, 2026.
Australia has been identified as unique among OECD nations for not having a permanent institution dedicated to handling public health crises like infectious disease outbreaks. Despite establishing an interim CDC within the Department of Health since January 1, 2024, there has been a push to create a more comprehensive and independent CDC. The Labor party pledged to set up a CDC during the 2022 election campaign, allocating $90.9 million in the 2023-24 budget to fund the new agency, with a focus on enhancing national health emergency planning and preparedness, as well as transparent public health advice provision.