Department of Health
We are building a new national plan to replace Australia’s National oral Health Plan 2015-2024. All governments are partners in the process.
We are developing the plan in 2 phases:
- Phase 1 developed a draft framework for the new plan. This phase focused on stakeholder consultation and review of the existing plan. This phase finished in October 2025.
- Phase 2 will deliver the final plan, incorporating consultation feedback. We started this phase in October 2025 and will finish in early 2026.
Engagement activities
Engagement activities included:
- national stakeholder workshops
- targeted consultations with rural and remote stakeholders
- culturally appropriate engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers and organisations.
A public survey conducted in September 2025 received 235 responses.
What we heard
Feedback highlighted broad support for the draft framework, alongside calls for:
- a stronger focus on health equity
- cultural safety to be a central principle
- embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander oral health priorities throughout the plan
- a focus on prevention
- emphasising child oral health and early intervention.
Next steps
We’re now finalising the plan, drawing on valuable consultation feedback, which included:
- policy insights
- consumer feedback
- practical experience
- thoughtful consideration of the plan’s long-term impact.
Once agreed by all Health Ministers, we will publish the new plan.
Read a summary of the consultations.
Summary of public consultations on the new National Oral Health Plan
A summary of the public consultation activities undertaken in 2025 to help us develop the next 10-year National Oral Health Plan. We will use the feedback to make changes to the draft framework and shape the content of the plan.
/Media Release. View in full here.
