What is new in 2019

Sourced from abc.net.au

From January 1, the 10 per cent tax on tampons and pads will be no longer.

The items to be made exempt include:

Tampons

Pads

Menstrual cups

Maternity pads

Leak-proof underwear

Transport prices are going up on the east coast

Commuters will face higher transport costs. From the new year, fares will rise in Melbourne by 2.2 per cent. Students will be able to use their approved school ID cards instead of special-issue concession cards.

It might be a little harder to get a credit card and credit generally

Following the royal commission, from January 1 credit providers must not provide a credit card with a credit limit that the consumer could not repay within three years under the Australian Securities & Investments Commission's (ASIC) voluntary measures.

The changes mean new credit card applicants will need to prove they can pay monthly limits.

Receiving credit generally will be a little bit harder with more evidence required and less "standard expenditure" being accepted. This has been evolving pre January 1 so is not specifically a new year item but is consistent with the direction of travel.

The financial regulator will, however, lift restrictions on interest-only residential lending, which forced lenders to limit new interest-only lending to 30 per cent of home loans they issue.

NAB has announced that it will no longer be part of the rediATM network, which is operated by Cuscal,from January 1, 2019.

That means customers will face a $2 fee when using RediATMs across Australia.

NAB has instead advised its customers to continue withdrawing from fee-free ATMs, including NAB as well as those belonging to the other big four: Commonwealth, Westpac and ANZ.

Power price discounts

In NSW, ACT, Queensland and South Australia, concession card holders on default (standing offers) or non-discounted plans will get an automatic discount on electricity from January 1.

Origin Energy will provide concession card holders in these states on standing offers or non-discounted plans an automatic 10 per cent discount while EnergyAustralia will automatically apply 15 per cent discounts on electricity and gas usage for its eligible concession-card customers on default or "standing offer" tariffs.

EnergyAustralia will also keep electricity prices flat for customers in Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and the ACT in 2019, and will cut prices for Queensland customers.

Thousands of Victorians will also be eligible for a new power rebate from power giants EnergyAustralia, Origin and AGL.

The rebates — worth hundreds of dollars — will be given to customers on default deals, also known as standing offers, or on expired market offers.

"285,000 households will benefit between $250 and $720 worth of debates from January 1," Premier Daniel Andrews said.

New rules which would force retailers to provide better assistance to customers on hardship programs also come into effect in Victoria in January 2019.

On top of that, AGL has also announced electricity prices will come down by 1.6 per cent in Victoria, saving households $23 a year, while gas prices will come down by 0.9 for residential customers.

It comes after AGL lowered electricity prices across New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia from July 1, 2018.

If you live in Victoria, some of your TAFE courses will be free

Good news for Victorian residents: the Government will now cover the cost of 30 TAFE courses and 18 pre-apprenticeship courses.

The offer is only available if you're Australian or a New Zealander and aged under 20, upskilling, unemployed or looking to change careers.

The list of "priority courses" the Government will pay for include:

Accounting

Ageing Support

Agriculture

Dental

Assisting Community Services

Mental Health

Nursing

Plumbing

There's a lot more, which we've listed here.

New parents in NSW will get 'baby bundles'

The NSW Government announced back in June that $7.6 million will be being spent on hampers filled with baby products to be given to new parents when discharged from the hospital.

The total retail value of each baby bundle is worth approximately $300.

"Especially if it's your first child it will be of particular use but we want to make the offer available to all new bubs," Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.

There will also be a $100 rebate for cultural activities — such as art classes, dancing and drama lessons for school-aged children. A similar subsidy is already in place for participation in sport.

The Government will also provide subsidies for three-year-olds to attend pre-school for two days a week. Previously the subsidy was available only for the year before school.

State public servants — including teachers, nurses, and police — will also get 10 days of paid domestic and family violence leave each year, bringing the sector into line with private sector employers.

Unvaccinated children are banned from WA kindies

From January 1, unvaccinated and under-vaccinated children in Western Australia will be banned from going to school during disease outbreaks under its "no jab, no play" policy.

New regulations also mean kindergartens, schools and childcare centres will be required to collect and report on the immunisation status of children in their care.

School principals will be fined up to $1,000 if they allow a child to come to school against the Health Department's orders, as will the owners of childcare centres.

SA foster carers to receive financial support for longer

In SA, there's some good news for foster carers, who will continue to receive financial support from the Government until the young person is 21 years old.

Previously support was cut off once a foster child turned 18.

Payroll tax will also no longer apply to businesses earning less than $1.5 million in annual revenue.

Taxi ranks in the city will no longer be supervised at night by security guards, with neither the State Government nor the taxi industry stepping up to continue funding the service.