Appropriates additional money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund for certain expenditure, in addition to the appropriations provided for by the Supply Act (No. 2) 2025-2026 and Appropriation Act (No. 2) 2025-2026.
Parliamentary progress
Progress
House of Representatives
Introduced and read a first time
05 Feb 2026
Second reading moved
05 Feb 2026
Second reading debate
12 Feb 2026
Referred to Federation Chamber
03 Mar 2026
Second reading debate
03 Mar 2026
Returned to House for further consideration
04 Mar 2026
Second reading debate
04 Mar 2026
Second reading debate
10 Mar 2026
Second reading debate
11 Mar 2026
Second reading debate
12 Mar 2026
Second reading debate
24 Mar 2026
Second reading agreed to
24 Mar 2026
Third reading agreed to
24 Mar 2026
Senate
Introduced and read a first time
25 Mar 2026
Second reading moved
25 Mar 2026
Second reading debate
25 Mar 2026
Second reading debate
26 Mar 2026
Second reading agreed to
26 Mar 2026
Third reading agreed to
26 Mar 2026
Finally passed both Houses
26 Mar 2026
Assent
Act no: 18
Year: 2026
27 Mar 2026
Notes
Documents and transcripts
Text of bill
First reading
As passed by both Houses
Explanatory memoranda
Explanatory memorandum
Transcript of speeches
All second reading speeches
Minister's second reading speech
Proposed amendments
Senate
2R - One Nation [sheet 3662]
ROBERTS, Sen Malcolm
Schedules of amendments
No documents at present
Notes
Considered by scrutiny committee (25/02/2026): Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills; Scrutiny Digest 3 of 2026
An electronic version of this Act is available on the Federal Register of Legislation (www.legislation.gov.au)
An Act to appropriate additional money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund for certain expenditure, and for related purposes
Contents
Part 1,Preliminary 2
1 Short title 2
2 Commencement 2
3 Definitions 2
4 Portfolio statements 4
5 Notional transactions between entities that are part of the Commonwealth 4
Part 2,Appropriation items 5
6 Summary of appropriations 5
7 State, ACT, NT and local government items 5
8 Administered items 5
9 Administered assets and liabilities items 6
10 Other departmental items 6
11 Corporate entity items 6
Part 3,Advance to the Finance Minister 7
12 Advance to the Finance Minister 7
Part 4,Miscellaneous 8
13 Crediting amounts to special accounts 8
14 Conditions etc. applying to State, ACT, NT and local government items 8
15 Appropriation of the Consolidated Revenue Fund 9
16 Repeal of this Act 9
Schedule 1,Payments to or for the States, ACT, NT and local government 10
Schedule 2,Services for which money is appropriated 11
Appropriation Act (No. 4) 2025-2026
No. 18, 2026
An Act to appropriate additional money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund for certain expenditure, and for related purposes
[Assented to 27 March 2026]
The Parliament of Australia enacts:
Part 1,Preliminary
1 Short title
This Act is the Appropriation Act (No. 4) 2025‑2026.
2 Commencement
(1) Each provision of this Act specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.
Commencement information
Column 1
Column 2
Column 3
Provisions
Commencement
Date/Details
The whole of this Act
The day this Act receives the Royal Assent.
27 March 2026
Note: This table relates only to the provisions of this Act as originally enacted. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this Act.
(2) Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this Act. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this Act.
3 Definitions
In this Act:
administered assets and liabilities item means an amount set out in Schedule 2 in relation to a non‑corporate entity opposite the heading “Administered Assets and Liabilities”.
administered item means an amount set out in Schedule 2 opposite an outcome for a non‑corporate entity under the heading “New Administered Outcomes”.
corporate entity means:
(a) a corporate Commonwealth entity within the meaning of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013; or
(b) a Commonwealth company within the meaning of that Act.
corporate entity item means the amount set out in Schedule 2 in relation to a corporate entity under the heading “Non‑operating”.
expenditure means payments for expenses, acquiring assets, making loans or paying liabilities.
Finance Minister means the Minister administering this Act.
item means any of the following:
(a) a State, ACT, NT and local government item;
(b) an administered item;
(c) an administered assets and liabilities item;
(d) an other departmental item;
(e) a corporate entity item.
non‑corporate entity means:
(a) a non‑corporate Commonwealth entity within the meaning of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013; or
(b) the High Court.
other departmental item means an amount set out in Schedule 2 in relation to a non‑corporate entity opposite the heading “Equity Injections”.
Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements means the Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements that were tabled in the Senate or the House of Representatives in relation to the Bill for this Act and the Bill for the Appropriation Act (No. 3) 2025‑2026.
Portfolio Budget Statements means the Portfolio Budget Statements that were tabled in the Senate or the House of Representatives in relation to the Bill for the Appropriation Act (No. 1) 2025‑2026 and the Bill for the Appropriation Act (No. 2) 2025‑2026.
portfolio statements means:
(a) the Portfolio Budget Statements; and
(b) the Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements.
special account has the same meaning as in the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013.
State, ACT, NT and local government item means an amount set out in Schedule 2 opposite an outcome for a non‑corporate entity under the heading “Payments to States, ACT, NT and local government”.
4 Portfolio statements
The portfolio statements are declared to be relevant documents for the purposes of section 15AB of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901.
Note: See paragraph 15AB(2)(g) of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901 which provides that the material that may be considered in the interpretation of a provision of an Act includes any document that is declared by the Act to be a relevant document.
5 Notional transactions between entities that are part of the Commonwealth
For the purposes of this Act, notional transactions between non‑corporate entities are to be treated as if they were real transactions.
Note: This section applies, for example, to a “payment” between non‑corporate entities that are both part of the Commonwealth. One of the effects of this section is that the payment will be debited from an appropriation for the paying non‑corporate entity, even though no payment is actually made from the Consolidated Revenue Fund. This is consistent with section 76 of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013.
Part 2,Appropriation items
6 Summary of appropriations
The total of the items specified in Schedule 2 is $3,532,926,000.
Note 1: Items in Schedule 2 can be adjusted under Part 3 of this Act.
Note 2: Sections 74 to 75 of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 also provide for the adjustment of amounts appropriated by this Act.
7 State, ACT, NT and local government items
(1) The amount specified in a State, ACT, NT and local government item for an outcome for a non‑corporate entity may be applied for the purpose of making payments to or for the States, the Australian Capital Territory, the Northern Territory and local government authorities for the purpose of contributing to achieving that outcome.
(2) If the portfolio statements indicate that activities of a particular kind were intended to be treated as activities in respect of a particular outcome, then expenditure for the purpose of carrying out those activities is taken to be expenditure for the purpose of contributing to achieving the outcome.
8 Administered items
(1) The amount specified in an administered item for an outcome for a non‑corporate entity may be applied for expenditure for the purpose of contributing to achieving that outcome.
(2) If the portfolio statements indicate that activities of a particular kind were intended to be treated as activities in respect of a particular outcome, then expenditure for the purpose of carrying out those activities is taken to be expenditure for the purpose of contributing to achieving the outcome.
9 Administered assets and liabilities items
(1) The amount specified in an administered assets and liabilities item for a non‑corporate entity may be applied for expenditure for the purpose of contributing to achieving any outcome specified for the entity:
(a) in Schedule 2 to this Act; or
(b) in Schedule 1 to the Supply Act (No. 1) 2025‑2026; or
(c) in Schedule 1 to the Appropriation Act (No. 1) 2025‑2026; or
(d) in Schedule 2 to the Supply Act (No. 2) 2025‑2026; or
(e) in Schedule 2 to the Appropriation Act (No. 2) 2025‑2026; or
(f) in Schedule 1 to the Appropriation Act (No. 3) 2025‑2026.
(2) If the portfolio statements indicate that activities of a particular kind were intended to be treated as activities in respect of a particular outcome, then expenditure for the purpose of carrying out those activities is taken to be expenditure for the purpose of contributing to achieving the outcome.
10 Other departmental items
The amount specified in an other departmental item for a non‑corporate entity may be applied for the departmental expenditure of the entity.
11 Corporate entity items
(1) The amount specified in a corporate entity item for a corporate entity may be paid to the entity to be applied for the purposes of the entity.
(2) If:
(a) an Act provides that a corporate entity must be paid amounts that are appropriated by the Parliament for the purposes of the entity; and
(b) Schedule 2 contains a corporate entity item for that entity;
then the entity must be paid the full amount specified in the item.
Part 3,Advance to the Finance Minister
12 Advance to the Finance Minister
(1) If the Finance Minister determined an amount under subsection 12(2) of the Appropriation Act (No. 2) 2025‑2026 or subsection 12(2) of the Supply Act (No. 2) 2025‑2026 before the commencement of this Act, the amount is to be disregarded for the purposes of subsection 12(3) of the Appropriation Act (No. 2) 2025‑2026.
Note: This means that, after the commencement of this Act, the Finance Minister has access to $600 million under section 12 of the Appropriation Act (No. 2) 2025‑2026 , regardless of amounts that have already been determined under that section or under section 12 of the Supply Act (No. 2) 2025‑2026.
(2) If:
(a) this Act appropriates an amount for particular expenditure; and
(b) before the commencement of this Act, the Finance Minister determined an amount (the advanced amount) under section 12 of the Appropriation Act (No. 2) 2025‑2026 or section 12 of the Supply Act (No. 2) 2025‑2026 for the expenditure;
the amount appropriated by this Act for the expenditure is taken to be reduced (but not below nil) by the advanced amount.
Part 4,Miscellaneous
13 Crediting amounts to special accounts
If any of the purposes of a special account is a purpose that is covered by an item (whether or not the item expressly refers to the special account), then amounts may be debited against the appropriation for that item and credited to that special account.
14 Conditions etc. applying to State, ACT, NT and local government items
(1) This section applies to any payment made out of money appropriated by a State, ACT, NT and local government item for an outcome specified in column 2 of the table in Schedule 1.
(2) The payment:
(a) must be made on the terms and conditions (if any) from time to time determined, in the way described in subsection (3), as applying to payments made:
(i) in relation to the outcome; and
(ii) to or for a State, the Australian Capital Territory, the Northern Territory or a local government authority; and
(iii) out of money appropriated by an annual Appropriation Act; and
(b) must be made in accordance with any determination in writing made by the Minister specified, in column 4 of the table in Schedule 1, for the outcome as to amounts and times of payments.
(3) The way of determining the terms and conditions applying to payments described in paragraph (2)(a) is for the Minister specified, in column 3 of the table in Schedule 1, for the outcome to make the determination in writing before or after the commencement of this Act.
(4) Determinations mentioned in paragraph (2)(a) and determinations made under paragraph (2)(b) are not legislative instruments.
(5) This section does not limit the Commonwealth’s power to:
(a) apply terms and conditions to payments made out of money that is not appropriated by a State, ACT, NT and local government item; or
(b) determine the amounts and times of those payments.
15 Appropriation of the Consolidated Revenue Fund
The Consolidated Revenue Fund is appropriated as necessary for the purposes of this Act, including the operation of this Act as affected by the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013.
16 Repeal of this Act
This Act is repealed at the start of 1 July 2028.
Schedule 1,Payments to or for the States, ACT, NT and local government
Note: See section 14.
Column 1
Column 2
Column 3
Column 4
Minister
Minister
determining
determining
Entity
Outcome
conditions
payments
Department of Education
Improved early learning, schooling, student educational outcomes and transitions to and from school through access to quality early childhood education and care, support, parent engagement, quality teaching and learning environments
Minister for Education
Minister for Education
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts
Strengthening the sustainability, capacity and diversity of Australia's urban and regional areas including northern Australia, including through facilitating local partnerships between all levels of government and local communities; through investment in infrastructure and measures that stimulate economic growth; and providing grants and financial assistance
Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government
Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government
Schedule 2,Services for which money is appropriated
Note: See sections 6 and 15.
Abstract
Portfolio
Total
$'000
Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
33,549
Attorney‑General's
13,966
Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
414,539
Defence
2,089,707
Education
180
Finance
335,065
Foreign Affairs and Trade
21,161
Home Affairs
129,883
Industry, Science and Resources
3,328
Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the
126,886
Arts
Prime Minister and Cabinet
14,633
Treasury
350,029
Total
3,532,926
APPROPRIATIONS
SUMMARY
Summary of Appropriations (bold figures),2025‑2026