The federal government is ramping up its "no jab, no pay" policy, with new laws to dock welfare payments by $28 a fortnight for parents whose children do not meet immunisation requirements.
Under legislation introduced to parliament on Thursday, fortnightly Family Tax Benefit Part A payments will be reduced for each child that has not been vaccinated from July 1 next year.
It will replace the existing system under which end-of-year supplements are withheld for children whose immunisation is not up to date.
The cuts over the course of the year equate to the yearly payment, but the government is hopeful the change will give parents an immediate incentive to have their children immunised.
Social Services Minister Christian Porter told parliament, "The government considers there is no excuse for parents who, for no valid medical reason, choose to not immunise their children.
"These parents are not only putting their own children's health at risk but they risk the health of every other child."
Families will be given a 63-day grace period if a child does not meet the requirements.
Immunisation rates have risen nationally since the first no jab no pay measures were introduced in January 2016.
But Cassandra Goldie, CEO at the Australian Council of Social Services, credits another approach.
"GPs are now paid an incentive payment to remind parents to immunise their children," she says.
"We think that actually why we are seeing improved immunisation rates across the country, that is the health approach, we know that GPs are a really important part of the picture and we suspect that's what's working."
As of June, 93.79 of one-year-olds, 90.86 of two-year-olds and 93.55 of five-year-olds were fully immunised.
It still falls short of the 95 per cent herd immunity, the level required to slow or stop the spread of disease.
