Young people say they feel left out after a “disappointing” federal budget that failed to address or adequately support many of their key concerns.
Despite Treasurer Jim Chalmer’s fourth budget on Tuesday night addressing cost of living relief, student debt reform, and investment in jobs, it was accused of not going far enough.
Satara Uthanyakumaran, the United Nations Australian Youth Representative, told Central News: “Reducing student debt, improving rental protections, and properly funding mental health programs are not radical demands — they are basic steps toward ensuring young people can build a secure future.
“This budget acknowledges some of our struggles, but it does not do enough to fix them. Young Australians are not just the future of this country; we are here now, and we deserve policies that reflect that.”
She added: “I have had the privilege of engaging with young people across the country, and their message is clear: while they remain hopeful, they still feel overlooked by governments.
“The 2025 federal budget makes some welcome moves, such as tax cuts for low-income earners and extended electricity bill relief, but these measures only scratch the surface of the challenges young Australians face.”
As Prime Minister Anthony Albanese prepares to call for the election, and with almost half of voters millennials and Generation Z, the budget was seen as an opportunity to appeal to young Australians.
It was not lost on Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, who posted on Instagram: “The Prime Minister needed to deliver a budget for our country’s future, not for an election.”
Australia is in the midst of a serious cost of living crisis, but for those renting and trying to enter the housing market it’s especially tough.
Addressing parliament in question time on the day of the budget Minister for Housing and Homelessness Claire O’Neil said: “We know that the long term fix here is to build more homes – and that’s why we’re working with the states to build 1.2 million homes over five years.
“And it’s why we’re making those huge generational investments into social and affordable housing.”
Along with this $33 billion plan, $54 million has been allocated in the budget toward accelerating the uptake of modern methods of housing construction. Incentive payments of up to $10,000 will also be given to new apprenticeships in the housing industry.
Tax cuts and rebates won’t make up for the fact that many young Australians are drowning under the weight of student debt, stagnant wages, and soaring grocery prices.
Creel Janssen, a 19-year-old business and public health student from University of Technology, Sydney said: “Young people face bigger challenges.
“It’s quite underwhelming honestly, they had the opportunity to do a lot more.”
University of Technology Sydney business student Eliza Murray, 19, added: “I think it’s really great for younger students but fails to take into account the longer term especially with it being a deficit.”
The government will be expanding the help to buy program to support Australian’s in buying homes with lower deposits and smaller mortgages. According to the budget it is committing around $800 million to lift the property price and income caps to make the scheme more accessible. It will also ban foreign buyers from purchasing existing homes for two years from April 1, while providing the Australian Taxation Office $5.7 million to enforce this.
To support renters, the government has increased maximum rates of Commonwealth Rent Assistance by 45 per cent for around a million households, and introduced a framework on genuine reasonable grounds for eviction and is moving towards limiting rental increases to once a year.
In terms of education, the government will cut student debts by 20 per cent before indexation is applied on June 1, which will wipe $16 billion from outstanding student loans. The budget also contained provisions for making the student loan repayment system fairer, although no quantitative measure has been applied to this yet. Subject to the passage of legislation, up to 100,000 free TAFE places will be provided each year from 2027.
The government will also provide an additional $2.5 billion over 11 years from 2024–25 for investments in a new higher education funding system. This will provide more Commonwealth Supported Places (subsidised enrolments at university), and extra support for disadvantaged students.
In terms of climate change, another key issue for younger Australians, the budget included $262 million to conserve 30 per cent of Australia’s landmass and marine areas by 2030. However, this is not a priority of the budget and there are no new policies.
Uthanyakumaran said the reduction of the tax rate for those earning between $18,201 and $45,000 would provide only modest financial relief, and while extending energy bill rebates would help ease cost pressures for some, these steps would do little to address deeper systemic issues like housing affordability, the rising cost of living, and the ongoing strain on mental health services.
“A two-year ban on foreign investors purchasing existing houses may slightly ease market pressures, but it does nothing to help young people struggling with skyrocketing rent or those locked out of homeownership altogether,” she said.
“Meanwhile, tax cuts and rebates won’t make up for the fact that many young Australians are drowning under the weight of student debt, stagnant wages, and soaring grocery prices.
“We need more than temporary relief, we need structural change. Young Australians are calling for real action on education accessibility, affordable housing, and expanded youth mental health services.”
Main image by Photo by Brodie Vissers from Freerange Stock
