TOP CHANGES COMING INTO EFFECT ON OR AFTER JULY 1:

PAYMENTS AND SUPER

* About three million workers on the minimum and award wages will receive a 3.5 per cent pay rise following a decision by the Fair Work Commission

* The superannuation guarantee will increase from 11.5 to 12 per cent, meaning employers must contribute a minimum of 12 per cent of a worker’s earnings to their super account

* The government will begin paying super to workers on paid parental leave

* More than 70,000 students in nursing, midwifery, teaching and social work will be eligible to receive $331.65 per week while doing mandatory prac placements as part of their degree

* The age pension will increase by $22.50 a fortnight for singles and $34.50 a fortnight for couples

CLEAN ENERGY

* Households will be able to access a 30 per cent discount on purchasing and installing home battery systems

* Enforcement of vehicle efficiency standards will begin, which will ensure new cars save money at the petrol bowser but could result in higher prices at the dealership

NDIS

* NDIS physiotherapy rates will decrease by $10 an hour, podiatry and dietetics will drop $5 an hour and psychology will increase $10 an hour while most other services will not be indexed.

* Travel claims for NDIS therapists will be halved and the agency administering the scheme will be able to make changes to participants’ plans without having to go through a full plan reassessment

BILLS

* Energy bills will increase by up to 9.1 per cent for some customers as changes to the energy regulator’s default market offer kick in

* Internet bills are also set to rise as the NBN hikes average wholesale prices by up to $1.71 per month

BUSINESS REGULATION AND FEES

* A new merger notification regime will come into effect on a voluntary basis, requiring businesses to notify the ACCC ahead of an acquisition

* Interest charges on overdue tax debts will no longer be tax deductible, meaning businesses will incur the full cost of 10.78 per cent extra on outstanding taxes

* Registering a business name with ASIC will increase by $1 to $45 while registering a new proprietary company now costs $611, up from $597

Jacob Shteyman
(Australian Associated Press)