THE Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works (the committee) will consider the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation’s (CSIRO) proposed part-life refit of the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP) under the Public Works Act 1969.

The proposed works were referred for inquiry and report on September 2, 2025. The committee will conduct a site inspection at the CSIRO Geelong ACDP, with a public hearing at Virginia Todd Hall, Geelong West, to follow.

CSIRO seeks to build a new 1,400m² high-containment laboratory wing as part of the first stage of their ACDP Part-life Refit Project to address current compliance issues in laboratory design and replace end-of-life critical infrastructure. The proposed works intend to provide safe, fit-for-purpose facilities that enhance Australia’s resilience to respond to pandemic events and improve CSIRO’s delivery of biosecurity services.

The estimated cost of the proposed works is $372,216,000 (excluding GST).

The committee will hear from relevant officers from CSIRO at the hearing. Interested members of the public are encouraged to listen in to the public hearing via the APH website or attend the hearing in person at the location listed below.

Public hearing details

Date: Friday, 21 November 2025
Time: 12pm–12:40pm
Location: Virginia Todd Hall, 9–15 Clarence St, Geelong West, VIC 3218

The hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live

Please note: the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works is not involved in the tendering process, awarding of contracts or details of the proposed works. Enquiries on these matters should be directed to the relevant Commonwealth entities.

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ON NOVEMBER 19 and 21, the Defence subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade will be holding public hearings in Darwin and Perth for its inquiry into the Department of Defence Annual Report 2023–24.

The subcommittee will be conducting site visits and meeting Defence personnel across Defence bases in Australia’s north and west before holding public hearings in these locations. The subcommittee will hear from the Department of Defence, the Australian Submarine Agency and industry, and will focus on the following terms of reference:

• Sovereign Defence Industrial Priorities;
• Defence Estate, Security and Resilience; and
• AUKUS.

Chair of the Defence subcommittee, Senator Deborah O’Neill, said, "Australia’s northern Defence bases are critical to our National Defence Strategy and it is essential that the subcommittee understands the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.

"The subcommittee will also be focused on discussing the progress of AUKUS, the ongoing delivery of maritime capability to the Australian Defence Force, and the uplift of the maritime industrial base that underpins national defence.

"The Defence assets stationed in the Northern Territory and Western Australia play a vital role in safeguarding the nation and the subcommittee is keen to support the Department of Defence in their mission of protecting Australia."

Further information, including the full terms of reference, is available on the inquiry webpage.

Public hearing details

Date: Wednesday, 19 November 2025
Time: 1pm–3pm (ACST)
Location: Nitmiluk Room, Legislative Assembly, Darwin

and

Date: Friday, 21 November 2025
Time: 9am–12pm (AWST)
Location: Committee Room 1, Legislative Assembly, Perth

The hearings will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live.

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THE House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics has commenced a review of Australia’s four major banks with public hearings to be held in Canberra next week with the CEOs of ANZ, Commonwealth Bank, National Australia Bank and Westpac.

Committee Chair, Ed Husic MP, said, "These hearings play an important part in opening up to public view the way the major banks operate in Australia.

"At a time when households and businesses across the country continue to embrace digital pathways for their banking and payment services, the committee will look at how major banks are balancing the interests of their customers and stakeholders.

"The committee is keen to hear how the four banks are managing current and emerging risks, especially the threats posed by scams, fraud and new technologies," Mr Husic said.

"With banks increasingly deploying artificial intelligence and emerging technologies to transform and support their operations, the Committee has – for the first time – made these areas a specific focus within the review’s terms of reference."

Through its hearings, the committee will examine matters related to: 

• interest rates on deposits and loans, the financial position of borrowers and the role of banks in supporting the flow of credit to households and small businesses; 
• impacts of proposed changes to surcharging, interchange caps and fee transparency;
• how the banks interact with customers;
• how banks are using artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies;
• actions taken to protect customers from scams;
• service delivery and operational performance, including access to banking in regional, rural and remote areas;
• responses to climate change and support of Australia’s climate and sustainability goals; and
• the ongoing implementation of recommendations of the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry.  

Programs for the hearings and the full terms of reference for the inquiry are available on the committee’s webpage.  

This inquiry is not open to submissions. 

Public hearing details:

Location (both days): Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra

Date: Tuesday 18 November 2025

Time:  9:15am to 5pm AEDT

Banks: Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Westpac Group.

Date: Wednesday 19 November 2025

Time:  9:15am to 5pm AEDT

Banks: Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited and National Australia Bank.

The hearings will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live

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THE Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit (JCPAA) has commenced an inquiry into the 2023-24 Commonwealth Financial Statements, which are audited each year by the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO).

This audit provides the Parliament with an independent examination of the Commonwealth’s accounts and possible financial statement risks.

Committee Chair Josh Burns MP, said, "Investigating different aspects of the Commonwealth Financial Statements Audit findings by ANAO continues to be an integral aspect of the JCPAA’s work. This inquiry provides a valuable vehicle for this Committee to further scrutinise any issues with the governance arrangements and internal control frameworks of Commonwealth entities on behalf of the Parliament."

Areas of interest to the committee include:

• legislative breaches relating to incorrect remuneration payments;
• greatly increased AI use across the Commonwealth but a lack of established internal policies governing this technology in more than one-third of entities;
• issues with the IT control environment, particularly IT security;
• the timeliness of financial statement preparation.

The inquiry will examine Auditor-General Report No. 22 of 2024-25: Audits of the Financial Statements of Australian Government Entities for the Period Ended 30 June 2024.

The committee has invited submissions to the inquiry, to be received by Friday, December 5, 2025.

Details of the inquiry – including the terms of reference and public hearings – will be made available on the Committee website.

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