Australian passports are valid for travel to and from Australia until their expiry date.
However, some countries may refuse entry to persons with less than six months validity on their passports beyond the period of intended stay. It is your responsibility to make sure you have enough validity on your passport for your travel. We recommend that you check the entry requirements of the countries you plan to visit or transit, including all visa requirements, with the relevant foreign consulate.
Many countries do not accept visas in invalid passports even if you concurrently have a valid passport. You may be required to obtain new visas in a valid passport. Keep in mind that some visas can be issued electronically and there may not be physical evidence of the visa in your passport.
If you are planning to travel to the United States of America under the visa waiver program, you need to have a passport with an electronic chip. All current Australian passports, except emergency passports, have an electronic chip.
If your passport becomes seriously damaged, it could be impounded by border officials on entry or departure from Australia, thus delaying your travel.
If your passport is reported as lost or stolen it will be permanently cancelled and therefore invalidated.