The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) has welcomed the announcement that the Albanese Labor Government will invest more than $1.7b into Services Australia, to ensure frontline staff can continue to effectively support Australians right across the country.
The nearly $2b investment will allow the public sector workforce to continue to deliver vital government services Australians rely on. However, the union says it will continue to advocate for these funds to be a permanent uplift in the agency budget.
This substantial boost comes off the back of important campaigning by Community and Public Sector Union members who have fought to maintain the additional 4000 staff.
The future of the additional workforce was not guaranteed beyond this budget; this decision provides certainty for Services Australia workers, and importantly ensures vital services will continue to be delivered to the Australian community.
This investment has also made Services Australia a better place to work, with more manageable workloads and less customer frustration.
With further job cuts facing other department and agencies, the CPSU will continue to advocate for permanent investments in the capacity and capability of the nation's public services at Tuesday's budget.
Quotes attributable to Melissa Donnelly, National Secretary, CPSU:
"Services Australia does vital work in delivering essential public services that Australians rely on every day.
"Investments in the capacity and capability of Services Australia means shorter wait times and faster access to supports like a pension, the childcare subsidy, or youth allowance.
"We need to ensure these investments are permanent so we can retain experience and expertise in our nation's public services. The reality is temporary funding delivers temporary results."
"We welcome this important investment, but with more agencies facing job cuts right now, our work in defending and strengthening Australia's public services continues."
11 May 2026
