Update — June 2026: Where the NHMRC review now stands
When Federal Health Minister Mark Butler commissioned the NHMRC to develop Australia's first national clinical practice guidelines on 31 January 2025, the area was described by the Council itself as "contested and evolving." More than a year on, the process is still in its early stages — and the headline dates have not moved.
According to the NHMRC's own published timeline, the schedule remains: nhmrc.gov
Puberty suppression has been named a priority. Interim advice on its use is due for public consultation in mid-2026 (development running February–August 2026).
Evidence reviews are scheduled across September 2025 – September 2026.
Final national guidelines are not expected until April 2028.
The development and governance committees were confirmed as established in December 2025. But as of June 2026 the promised interim advice on puberty blockers has not yet been released for consultation, and commentary has noted the process is proceeding on a three-year clock with no interim safeguards while referrals continue under the existing 2018 guidelines — the same guidelines the NHMRC has confirmed it never approved.
In short: while Queensland and the Northern Territory have already acted, and while New Zealand and the UK have restricted puberty blockers outright, Australia's national review is still a year away from even its first piece of interim advice, and two years away from final guidelines