Parents will soon be able to access up to 26 weeks of paid parental leave (PPL) under an expansion of the scheme.

The Paid Parental Leave Amendment (More Support for Working Families) Bill 2023 (the Bill), which was passed by the Senate, will increase PPL by adding 2 weeks each year from 1 July 2024, until the overall length of the scheme is increased to 26 weeks by July 2026.

The Bill also introduces concurrent leave, meaning that from July 2026 both parents can take 4 weeks of reserved leave at the same time, thereby increasing flexibility for families to share caring responsibilities. The reserved leave period will increase by one week each year from 1 July 2025 to reach 4 weeks by 1 July 2026. Currently, the PPL scheme provides 20 weeks of payment for a child, with 100 flexible PPL days and 2 weeks reserved for each parent.

In addition to the expansion of scheme, the federal government also announced its intention to pay superannuation on PPL from 1 July 2025.