The Commonwealth Accessible Australia initiative

Increasing inclusion for people living with disability through accessible infrastructure.

About Accessible Australia

The Commonwealth Accessible Australia initiative (Accessible Australia) provides funding to make it easier for people with disability to access their communities. This includes both the built and natural environment.

Accessible Australia builds on the Changing Places initiative. Changing Places funds accessible fixed and portable toilet facilities. The 2022–23 October Budget provided $32.2 million from 2022 to 2026. This was up to half of the funding needed to build Changing Places facilities across Australia.

From 2025, Accessible Australia replaces the Changing Places initiative.

Accessible Australia will fund:

fixed Changing Places facilities
portable Changing Places facilities
inclusive beaches (for example beach wheelchairs, floating wheelchairs and accessible matting)
inclusive national parks (for example all-terrain wheelchairs and accessible paths)
inclusive play spaces (for example liberty swings and all-access spinners).

Funding

The Department of Social Services will deliver funding to state and territory governments through Federation Funding Agreements (FFAs).

Eligible amenities can receive up to 100% of the total build cost for:

inclusive beaches
inclusive national parks
portable Changing Places facilities.

Half the build cost will be offered for:

inclusive play spaces
fixed Changing Places facilities.

Local councils and organisations cannot access this funding directly. To seek funding, please contact your state or territory government.

The Australian Government will also support states and territories to deliver and promote Accessible Australia projects through:

the Project Coordination Fund
the Navigation, Access and Information Management Fund.

Funding recipients are responsible for all ongoing operational and maintenance costs.

Implementation timeline

Accessible Australia will be implemented in 4 tranches:

Tranche 1 (2024–25 financial year)
Tranche 2 (2025–26 financial year)
Tranche 3 (2026–27 financial year)
Tranche 4 (2027–28 financial year)

Eligibility

All Local Government Areas (LGAs) are eligible for Accessible Australia funding. This is the case even if there is existing accessible infrastructure.

Conditions

Amenities funded through Accessible Australia must:

be purchased or start building within 12 months of receiving funding
finish installing or building within 18 months of purchase or starting to build.

Meeting standards

The coordinating state or territory needs to make sure all Changing Places facilities are accredited by a Changing Places assessor. Accreditation makes sure that Changing Places are built to standard. This means users can be confident that the design is fit for purpose.

Resources

Fact sheets and Frequently Asked Questions