The Albanese government will spend millions on national e-bike safety standards and federal support for Australia’s loaned pandas, the 2026 federal budget papers have revealed.
E-bike and scooter accidents have surged in recent years and claimed dozens of lives in 2025 alone.
Amid calls from some major cities to ban them, Labor pledged $6.6m over three years “to progress reforms aimed at strengthening Australia’s product safety framework and safety standards”.
Starting from the 2026-27 financial year, the funds would go toward “improving product recalls, advancing online marketplace reforms, and with an immediate focus on introducing standards for e‑bikes and nationally consistent requirements for all e‑micromobility devices”.
Finding the exact number of deaths caused by e-bike and scooter accidents is complex, but a University of Melbourne researcher found last year that younger Australians made up the bulk of deaths and teenagers were at particular risk.
The Albanese government also committed $3.2m to help look after the giant pandas residing at Adelaide Zoo in a sign that it expects relations with Beijing to remain friendly until at least decade’s end, even as both countries pump billions into expanding their arsenals and competing for regional influence.
The Chinese bear ambassadors Xing Qiu and Yi Lan came to Australia in late 2024, replacing long-time envoys Wang Wang and Fu Ni.
The federal funds amounted to $800,000 per year.
More to come
