FECCA’s Response to the 2025 Federal Budget

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This page provides insights and responses to the 2025 Federal Budget. As the national peak body representing Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, we are dedicated to informing, supporting, and amplifying the voices of our communities in the national economic discourse.

This year, our budget response focuses on two key areas: social cohesion and care.

• Social Cohesion: We examine how the budget supports a more inclusive and connected society, addressing issues such as migration policy, community programs, and initiatives that foster belonging and participation.

• Care: We analyse the budget’s impact on essential services and care systems, including aged care, disability support, and broader health and welfare measures that affect multicultural communities.

Through these focus areas, we aim to highlight how the budget reflects the needs of multicultural Australia and advocate for policies that promote equity, inclusion, and wellbeing for all.

FECCA is the peak national body representing Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. FECCA’s role is to advocate and promote issues on behalf of multicultural communities to government, business and the broader community.

We work to promote fairness and responsiveness to multicultural communities’ needs and aspirations in the delivery and design of government policies and programs. We promote multiculturalism as a core value that defines what it means to be Australian in the 21st century.

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SOCIAL COHESION

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Multicultural Framework Review

The 2025 Budget signals a positive step in reinforcing multiculturalism, aligning closely with recommendations from the Multicultural Framework Review. FECCA welcomes funding that reflects these priorities, including the continuation of programs fostering inclusion and inter-community understanding. Bipartisan support for a national commitment to multiculturalism is essential to build on this foundation and ensure lasting policy coherence.

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Human Rights

The budget makes targeted investments that contribute to the protection and advancement of human rights, particularly through support for refugee communities and culturally safe service delivery. However, more explicit commitments are needed to ensure CALD communities are equitably represented in human rights policy development and implementation. FECCA calls for strengthened consultation mechanisms that include CALD voices in decisions affecting their rights and safety.

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Anti-Racism

The Government’s $178.4 million package to support social cohesion includes specific initiatives such as grants for multicultural organisations and investment in community infrastructure. However, FECCA notes the absence of a comprehensive, national anti-racism strategy in this year’s budget. Investment in security upgrades for both Jewish and Muslim community spaces acknowledges present-day risks, but broader systemic efforts to prevent racial discrimination remain necessary.

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Settlement and Migration

FECCA recognises a missed opportunity in the Budget to strengthen Australia’s humanitarian response. While we welcome ongoing support for refugee settlement services, the unchanged humanitarian intake represents a shortfall in leadership at a time of significant global displacement.

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Language Support

Funding for targeted language support in health is a positive step, but similar commitments are lacking in other care sectors such as aged care, disability, and housing services. Without this, barriers to service access remain high for non-English speaking communities. Sustained, system-wide investment is essential to uphold quality and equity in care delivery for all Australians.

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Community Support

FECCA acknowledges the $178.4 million investment over five years to strengthen social cohesion, including $10 million for independent multicultural media and $44.8 million in grants for community projects. Investments to support African Australian organisations, refugee settlement programs, and upgrades to cultural institutions are also significant and timely.

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Multicultural Framework Review

The Australian Government established the Multicultural Framework Review to look at ways for government and the community to work together to support a cohesive multicultural society and to advance a vibrant and prosperous future for all Australians. FECCA and many other community organisations and individuals invested significant time and effort into sharing our knowledge, experiences, expertise and aspirations into the review. This includes FECCA leading a  joint Community Sector Statement on the Multicultural Framework Review with key organisations including the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS), the Settlement Council of Australia (SCOA), Settlement Services International (SSI), and the Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network (MYAN). Around 100 organisations have signed up to the Statement, demonstrating a strong and unified call to government to implement 8 key recommendations to strengthen Australian multiculturalism now and into the future.

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CARE

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Health

FECCA welcomes the Government’s significant $8.5 billion investment in Medicare, aimed at improving access and affordability for all Australians. Expanding bulk billing and increasing rebates for diagnostic services are important steps that will particularly benefit culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities, who often experience financial barriers when engaging with the health system.

The Budget also includes funding to improve public dental services, lower the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) co-payment to $25, and deliver cheaper contraceptive access and treatment for urinary tract infections through trials in community pharmacies. These measures are practical, direct and responsive to ongoing cost-of-living pressures faced by many multicultural families.

Importantly, the Health in My Language program receives an additional $5.4 million, bringing its total investment to $24.3 million since inception. This program provides health education and engagement in culturally safe ways, ensuring women from migrant and refugee backgrounds can access critical information in their own languages. It remains one of the most trusted models for delivering public health information into CALD communities.

Further investment in community-based programs includes $2.7 million to continue the National Multicultural Peer Navigation and HIV Prevention Workforce Development Pilots. These programs play an essential role in early detection, treatment access and culturally sensitive health navigation, especially in communities where stigma and lack of awareness create additional barriers.

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Ageing and Aged Care

FECCA welcomes the Government’s investment of $2.6 billion to provide a pay rise for 60,000 aged care nurses across Australia, recognising their essential work. With migrants making up a significant portion of the aged care workforce, this increase helps stabilize the sector and honors the contributions of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) workers. Continued reforms and the implementation of the Aged Care Act, including culturally appropriate assessments and services, are necessary to ensure equity and dignity in aging.

Mental Health to meet the specific needs of multicultural Australians. A long-term, national strategy is required to embed multicultural perspectives in mental health policy and service design.

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Women Issues

This year’s Budget delivers a welcome focus on women’s health and safety, particularly for those from culturally and linguistically diverse communities. The $573.3 million women’s health package includes targeted funding for endometriosis care, menopause support, and improved access to essential reproductive health services. FECCA strongly supports these investments, particularly where they are delivered in culturally safe and accessible formats.

A new Medicare item to support health assessments for women experiencing perimenopause and menopause, backed by $26.3 million, reflects a better understanding of women’s health needs. Additionally, $20.9 million will support 33 Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain Clinics, offering dedicated care to women across Australia. Funding is also committed to awareness campaigns and professional training for clinicians, which will help improve standards of care.

Safety measures are also a key theme, with $21.4 million committed to improving the justice system response to sexual violence. This includes expansion of trauma-informed legal services, culturally appropriate support services, and emergency accommodation for women and children escaping domestic and family violence. These supports are essential but must be complemented by sustained funding for specialist CALD services, which remain under-resourced.

The inclusion of superannuation on Paid Parental Leave is a major policy win that will help reduce the gender retirement gap. It is a particularly important reform for CALD women, many of whom are employed in part-time, casual or lower-paid care sector jobs. FECCA welcomes these steps and continues to advocate for further measures that embed the voices and lived experiences of multicultural women in all areas of health, safety and economic policy.

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