Start of July brings policy changes into effect

July the 1st, marked the start of a new financial year, a time for sales and tax returns, but it is also the date many recent government decisions come into effect. Those changes range from penalty rates to power prices to a rise in politicians' pay. Also there will be new rules for first-home buyers across some parts of the country in hopes of lifting the number able to enter the housing market.

Parliament House in Canberra Source: AAP