Rugby league, bird flu and drones: things you may have missed in the 2026 budget

The budget confirms $20m over the next two years to “upgrade and restore Leichhardt Oval in Sydney”, the home of the Wests Tigers NRL team, which is also used by other sporting teams.

Players and staff with the new rugby league team in PNG, the Chiefs, will receive tax exemptions as part of the venture’s entry to the NRL. The Australian government’s moves to ensure those tax breaks will cost $5.4m over four years.

There’s also $15m towards a permanent base, including a training and recovery centre, for the North Queensland Cowboys’ women’s team at West Barlow park in Cairns.

Drone and ebike regulation

The government “will not proceed with recreational remotely piloted aircraft systems registration requirements from 1 July 2026”, the budget papers reveal.

But there is $6.6m over three years for “reforms aimed at strengthening Australia’s product safety framework and safety standards, including by improving product recalls [and] advancing online marketplace reforms”. That includes “an immediate focus on introducing standards for e-bikes and nationally consistent requirements for all e‐micromobility devices”.

Aircraft noise and price monitoring

The government is also putting $38m towards a new aviation consumer protection authority and an independent ombudsman for aircraft noise. There’s also $4.5m for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to monitor prices and competitiveness in the domestic airline sector.

Bird flu

There’s $11.2m this year to “maintain critical preparedness against High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (HPAI H5) incursions”, including measures that help resilience of “priority native wildlife across high‐risk locations”.

Media funding

The ABC is getting an extra $14m over two years under its Indo-Pacific broadcasting strategy for “content production, distribution, capacity building and media engagement activities”.

The newswire service Australian Associated Press gets $15m for continued “financial sustainability”.

The budget also confirms the previously announced suspension of the Commercial Broadcasting Tax for two years, which will “provide temporary relief for commercial television and radio broadcasters” and cost $111m.

Wharf repair

The Australian National Maritime Museum will get $10.1m over two years for safety repairs to its wharves at Sydney’s Darling Harbour.