48Allocating places—first year of the program

48  Allocating places—first year of the program

10,000 places are available in the first year of program

 (1) 10,000 places are to be made available in the period starting on 1 July 2025 and ending on 30 June 2026 (the initial period).

Initial per capita allocation to participating jurisdictions

 (2) The places are to be allocated between the participating States and the Territories as follows:

 (a) each State, that is a participating State on 1 July 2025, is allocated a number of places on 1 July 2025; and

 (b) each State, that is not a participating State on 1 July 2025, but becomes a participating State before 1 March 2026, is allocated a number of places on the day it becomes a participating State; and

  (c) each Territory is allocated a number of places on 1 July 2025.

Note: This section operates subject to section 52 (which prevents places from being allocated in certain circumstances once a participating State has given notice of its intention to stop participating).

 (3) The number of places to be allocated for a participating State or a Territory for the initial period is the number of places worked out in accordance with the following formula:

 

start formula 10,000 multiplied the population of the participating State or Territory for the 2025-26 financial year divided by the population of Australia for the 2025-26 financial year end of formula

 

Where the result of the formula is not a whole number, round down to the nearest whole number.