Global Scans · Australia · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Australia will no longer be known for being as dependant on the export of natural resources over the next half century as in 2012. The need for new infrastructure to meet the strong population and economic growth of Australia will continue to be a priority for the medium term. There's no doubt the aftermath of China's credit boom poses a much bigger economic threat to Australia than Britain's withdrawal from the European Union. The Growth rate for Australia is expected to be stronger, although still below the long-term trend.

• [New] The 2026 Census presented a crucial opportunity to count the LGBTIQ + population in Australia for the first time. FUSE Magazine
• [New] The prevalence of head lice on Australian primary-school aged children could be 60% in some areas. State Government of Victoria, Australia
• [New] Malaria is not endemic in Australia, but northern parts of Australia are at risk. State Government of Victoria, Australia
• [New] Australia's reliance on the stability of the Indian Ocean and its presumption that infrastructure and AUKUS will mature in time is a strategic gamble Australia has not formally acknowledged. Perth USAsia Centre
• [New] The strategic purpose has not been sufficiently well-articulated or comprehensive enough to address the challenges Australia will face in the Indian Ocean. Perth USAsia Centre
• [New] Australian defence has made a huge bet that the Indian Ocean will remain stable long enough for it to build its relevant Pacific-focused architecture. Perth USAsia Centre
• [New] If an Australian Mississippi was not forthcoming, hope could be found in artesian groundwater and in the huge promise of irrigated agriculture. Origins
• [New] By 2056, the sex ratio of the Australia-born older population is projected to have increased, reflecting assumed convergence of male and female mortality rates over time. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] An Australian Government commissioned report described the risk of Australians under 18 being radicalised to engage in terrorist acts as 'significant and likely to continue'. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] Australia has continued expanding its suite of legislative options to both incorporate youth perspectives in online policy approaches to countering extremism, and to improve the regulation of the online (and offline) threat environment. GNET
• [New] Research from Jobs and Skills Australia projects a shortfall of up to 42,000 electricians by 2030, thanks in part to students being steered away from apprenticeships toward higher education, employers not having a clear return on investment, and a shortage of qualified trainers. The Guardian
• [New] Project Overmatch will unify intelligence from four other key allies - namely, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom - as part of the Five Eyes global intelligence community. BGR
• [New] Perth in Western Australia is projected to be the fastest growing Indigenous Region (growing by between 2.7 and 2.8% on average annually over the next 10 years) followed by Brisbane in Queensland. Australian Bureau of Statistics
• [New] Resourcing and empowering Aboriginal communities to lead place-based climate adaptation and mitigation processes will be critical to addressing current and future climate challenges in Australia. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] The Bureau of Meteorology has predicted above-average temperatures, which are already increasing the risk of bushfires and severe thunderstorms that may bring heavy rains and flooding. / Australia PrepMates
• [New] The next US President needs to advise Australia by 2031 whether the Virginia submarines can be delivered. Pearls and Irritations
• [New] Unprecedented gas reservation rules in eastern Australia are due to kick in from July 2027, which will compel exporters of liquefied natural gas to hold back the equivalent of up to 20% of what they send overseas each year and ensure they deliver it locally. The Sydney Morning Herald
• [New] Net overseas migration to Australia will remain strong in 2026; however, the Federal government has lowered its forecast for migration in the recent budget. Property Update
• [New] Sydney will get a new trial electric ferry after the state government signed contracts to build the locally designed, Australian-made vessel. The Guardian
• [New] Australia will need 1.3 million tech workers by 2030, requiring around 60,000 additional technology workers each year to meet national demand. Cyber Daily
• [New] Given the scale of AI cyber threats now facing Australia, the broader question is whether we are moving quickly enough. Cyber Daily
• [New] By 2026, AI Software Development will no longer be an optional accelerator but the core fabric of modern delivery pipelines across enterprises and scale-ups. / Australia EVOKEHUB
• [New] By 2026, software leaders in Australia will differentiate not by whether they use AI, but by how effectively they design, govern, and scale AI-augmented engineering ecosystems across their portfolios. EVOKEHUB

Last updated: 29 May 2026