Bill
Defence Housing Australia Amendment Bill 2025
passed, as at 2025-08-28. Defence portfolio.
- Sponsor
- Not recorded
- Portfolio
- Defence
Recorded stages
- introduced — 2025-07-24
- second reading — 2025-07-24
- other — 2025-07-30
- second reading — 2025-07-30
- other — 2025-07-30
- second reading — 2025-07-30
- third reading — 2025-07-30
- introduced — 2025-07-31
- second reading — 2025-07-31
- second reading — 2025-08-25
- second reading — 2025-08-25
- committee — 2025-08-25
- third reading — 2025-08-25
- passed — 2025-08-25
- royal assent — 2025-08-28
Divisions
- Defence Housing Australia Amendment Bill 2025 - Report from Federation Chamber - Increase defence expenditure — 2025-07-30, House of Representatives: negative, ayes 39, noes 93
- Defence Housing Australia Amendment Bill 2025 - Second Reading - Increase defence expenditure — 2025-08-25, Senate: negative, ayes 25, noes 35
- The majority voted against an [amendment](https://www.openaustralia.org.au/senate/?gid=2025-08-25.18.1) to the usual second reading amendment, which is "*that the bill be read a second time*" (parliamentary jargon for agreeing with the main idea of the bill). The amendment was introduced by NSW Senator [David Shoebridge](https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/people/senate/nsw/david_shoebridge) (Greens) and would have added the following words: > *At the end of the motion, add ", but the Senate notes that the explanatory memorandum to this bill claims that the amendments in the bill have no financial impact".* — 2025-08-25, Senate: negative, ayes 16, noes 28
- Defence Housing Australia Amendment Bill 2025 - Second Reading - Priority to Australians and transparency — 2025-08-25, Senate: affirmative, ayes 38, noes 23
- The majority voted in favour of a [motion](https://www.openaustralia.org.au/senate/?gid=2025-08-25.23.1) to agree with the main idea of the bill. In parliamentary jargon, they voted to read the bill a second time. This means the bill can now be considered in detail. ### What does this bill do? According to the [bills digest](https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/bd/bd2526/26bd007), which is a document created by the parliamentary library: > *Australia is hosting an increasing number of foreign military personnel as a result of expanding defence cooperation with allies.* > > *Key initiatives include Submarine Rotational Force-West (SRF-West), the US Force Posture Initiatives, the Australia-Japan Reciprocal Access Agreement, and the Australia – Singapore Military Training Initiative.* > > *The Bill will amend the Defence Housing Australia Act 1987 to expand Defence Housing Australia’s (DHA) main function to include the ability to provide housing and housing-related services to foreign government and defence personnel, and philanthropic organisations assisting the Australian Defence Force, to meet Defence’s current and future operational requirements.* > > *At the time of writing, the Bill had not been referred to or reported on by any parliamentary committees.* — 2025-08-25, Senate: affirmative, ayes 30, noes 10
- The majority voted against an [amendment](https://www.openaustralia.org.au/senate/?gid=2025-08-25.88.1) introduced by NSW Senator [David Shoebridge](https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/people/senate/nsw/david_shoebridge) (Greens), which means it failed. Senator Shoebridge explained that the amendment would have "*remove[d] from the bill the ability for Defence Housing to build housing for US and UK troops, for Israeli defence contractors, for employees of Lockheed Martin.*" ### Amendment text > *(1) Schedule 1, item 1, page 3 (lines 10 to 12), omit the definition of government.* > > *(2) Schedule 1, item 1, page 3 (lines 13 to 21), omit the definition of government body.* > > *(3) Schedule 1, item 1, page 3 (lines 22 and 23), omit the definition of military organisation.* > > *(4) Schedule 1, items 3 and 4, page 3 (line 30) to page 4 (line 21), omit the items, substitute:* > >> *3 After paragraph 5(1)(d)* >> >> *Insert:* >> >>> *and (e) accredited representatives of registered charities and their families;* — 2025-08-25, Senate: negative, ayes 11, noes 31
- The majority voted in favour of a [motion](https://www.openaustralia.org.au/senate/?id=2025-08-25.239.1) to pass the bill in the Senate. In parliamentary jargon, they voted to read the bill a third time. Since the bill has already passed in the House of the Representatives, it will now become law. ### What does this bill do? According to the [bills digest](https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/bd/bd2526/26bd007), which is a document created by the parliamentary library: > *Australia is hosting an increasing number of foreign military personnel as a result of expanding defence cooperation with allies.* > > *Key initiatives include Submarine Rotational Force-West (SRF-West), the US Force Posture Initiatives, the Australia-Japan Reciprocal Access Agreement, and the Australia – Singapore Military Training Initiative.* > > *The Bill will amend the Defence Housing Australia Act 1987 to expand Defence Housing Australia’s (DHA) main function to include the ability to provide housing and housing-related services to foreign government and defence personnel, and philanthropic organisations assisting the Australian Defence Force, to meet Defence’s current and future operational requirements.* > > *At the time of writing, the Bill had not been referred to or reported on by any parliamentary committees.* — 2025-08-25, Senate: affirmative, ayes 29, noes 11
Plain-language summary
No machine-written summary in this export.
Sources
em
digest
billhome
frl act