As Parliament resumes and the federal government continues its push on economic reform, productivity is firmly in the spotlight. But in all the talk of budgets, workforce participation, and technological innovation, one critical ingredient is often missing: people’s wellbeing.
Our submission to the Economic Reform Roundtable calls for a more grounded understanding of what drives productivity — one that starts with the conditions shaping people’s daily lives. Health, justice, housing and safety aren’t just ‘human services’; they’re economic infrastructure. When that fails, it costs lives and money.
Prevention pays off
Too often, government spending is concentrated on crisis responses — reacting to problems once they’ve become acute. But real change requires shifting our focus upstream. That means investing in prevention and early intervention across services like domestic and family violence, housing, employment, mental health, and child protection. These are services that can identify issues early, support people before they fall into crisis, and reduce pressure on the high-cost systems downstream.
“Prevention and health equity are fundamental to supporting a more sustainable, inclusive and equitable society and so must be central to discussions about Australia’s productivity. Government must commit to strengthening its approach to prevention”.– HJA’s Submission to the Economic Reform Roundtable
Integrated responses like health justice partnership (HJP) are not just theoretical solutions. With more than 140 HJPs nationally, it offers a real example of a collaborative and integrated approach that can improve long-term wellbeing and reduce pressure on frontline services — with benefits for the budget bottom line and economy.
The real work of systems change
The reality is this: integrated models need more than goodwill. They need systems that are built for collaboration.
Health justice partnerships can’t thrive under siloed service systems. They require dedicated, cross-sector investment that recognises the value of integrated, person-centred responses to complexity. Our submission highlights the need for reform that actively enables collaboration, instead of leaving it to patchwork arrangements.
We’ve also elevated workforce development as a priority. Collaboration isn’t just something you believe in — it’s something you build. It takes the right systems, shared infrastructure, and a workforce trained to work differently. However, there are few professional pathways that teach people how to work across sectors, build trust, or share governance. If government is serious about lifting capability, this is a clear place to start.
Our submission
Our submission comes from having supported, researched, and advocated for integrated models for nearly a decade.
We’re not calling for something new. We’re calling for the policy infrastructure that enables what works: long-term investment in integrated, integrated service models like health justice partnership.
