In line with our purpose to deliver high-quality preventative initiatives, we support the AMA’s pre-budget submission, and its recommendation to introduce a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages as an evidence-based public health measure to reduce sugar consumption, improve health outcomes, and alleviate unsustainable strain on the healthcare system.

Through our Communities for Children program at Amity Health, we see the effects of poor nutrition and regional health inequity every day. This is evident in our recent collaborative work with the Early Years Partnership (EYP) Dental Health Project in the Central Great Southern, where 1,029 dental screenings were delivered to children aged 0–4 over the three‑year program period, highlighting the critical importance of early prevention and oral health care.

Sugary drinks are widely available and heavily marketed, creating environments that make healthy choices harder for families, particularly those living in regional and lower‑income communities. As highlighted in the A Health System for All pillar, such structural drivers of poor health contribute to unequal outcomes and place avoidable long‑term pressure on the health system.

At Amity Health, we recognise early childhood as a critical window for prevention. Creating healthier food environments, alongside practical and culturally safe education, supports families to make informed choices and helps children build strong foundations for lifelong health. We support evidence‑based approaches that reduce children’s exposure to sugar‑sweetened beverages while reinvesting in prevention, health literacy, and community‑led supports to ensure more equitable health outcomes for all children.