New CDC to Bring Australia in Line with OECD Nations, Fix Pandemic Readiness

As the only OECD country without an equivalent disease control organisation, this positions Australia in line with other member nations.

An external view of the Royal Children Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, on Feb. 26, 2015. Luis Ascui/Getty Images

The Albanese government has announced to allocate $251.7 million (US$165 million) to establish Australia’s first Centre for Disease Control (CDC). As the only OECD country without an equivalent disease control organisation, this positions Australia in line with other member nations.

Labor’s Health Minister Mark Butler highlighted the urgency for a CDC, citing Australia’s lack of preparedness for COVID-19, which resulted from the absence of a national pandemic response drill over the past 12 years.

“Because of the lack of planning Australia’s pandemic response to COVID was slow, confused, and lacked authority,” he said.

The COVID-19 Inquiry Report released on Oct. 29 confirmed the country entered the pandemic with no concrete strategy, limited medical stockpiles, and strained aged and healthcare systems. It further exposed significant coordination failures between federal and state governments, leading to widespread confusion and chaos.

Government claims that the Australian CDC is consistent with the model recommended by the COVID-19 Response Inquiry.

CDC Launch Plan 

Labor had first committed to creating an independent and transparent CDC as early as October 2020, establishing an interim CDC in January 2023.

As per the latest announcement, CDC’s operations as part of the Department of Health and Aged Care will continue until the launch of the independent CDC by January 2026, pending legislative approval. The headquarters will be located in Canberra.

According to the report, the CDC’s primary focus should be to centralise health expertise, streamline data, and deliver consistent health advice nationally.'’

Its establishment follows the COVID-19 Inquiry’s recommendation to expand communicable disease surveillance, public health communication, and rapid-response planning.

Meanwhile, the Albanese Government claimed it recently conducted pandemic drills under “Exercise Volare” to bolster biosecurity against avian influenza, which poses risks to Australia’s wildlife and poultry sectors. The interim CDC, operating within the Department of Health and Aged Care, will continue its preparedness initiatives until the full CDC launch in 2026.

Opposition Criticises State-Level Lockdowns

The report criticised frequent border closures by Labor-led states like Western Australia, Queensland, and Victoria, highlighting a lack of clear rationale and the harm caused by these measures.

It called for the need for enhanced accountability, recommending that authorities publish the rationale behind pandemic restrictions to improve transparency and public trust.

Opposition Leader John Pesutto criticised the prolonged lockdowns implemented in Victoria, labelling them “selective” and asserting that they caused “a rapid erosion of trust” within the state.

Pesutto argued that the lockdowns lacked fairness, with certain industries allowed to continue operations while retail and hospitality sectors faced severe restrictions. This disparity, he noted, raised public doubts over the legitimacy and equitable enforcement of the lockdowns.

Pesutto emphasised the need for consistent enforcement of public health measures, warning that public mistrust in these measures could lead to disengagement from future health initiatives, such as child vaccinations.