Home and Away Undergoes Its Biggest Production Shake-Up in Years — Here’s What’s Changing and Who It Impacts

Home and Away is heading into its Christmas break facing one of the most substantial behind-the-scenes transformations the series has seen in a long time. As the iconic Australian soap prepares for its January return, the Seven Network has implemented a major overhaul of a long-standing internal system that affects one of its most essential teams: the writers.

For decades, Home and Away’s script department has operated under a familiar pattern — writers were hired on rolling fixed-term contracts that were renewed every year. But that practice is now officially ending. In a dramatic shift, Seven has confirmed that all writing staff will move from temporary fixed contracts to permanent employment.

The news, first reported by Variety Australia, follows persistent advocacy from the Australian Writers’ Guild (AWG). For years, the guild pushed back against the network’s habit of allowing writers’ contracts to expire in December, precisely when the show shuts down for its holiday hiatus. The result was the same stressful scenario each year: writers entered the Christmas break unemployed, unpaid, and unsure whether they would be rehired in January.

Bryant Apolonio, AWG’s Director of Industrial and Policy, explained that this long-standing practice left writers financially vulnerable at the exact moment the production took its annual pause. After what he described as extensive and constructive discussions between the guild and the network, both sides agreed that the outdated contracting system had to change.

He emphasized that under the old model, the team would receive contracts that automatically ended every December. As soon as production halted for the holidays, their pay stopped too. Then, once the new year rolled in, they would be re-contracted — essentially rehired — to begin work on the next cycle. This meant writers spent a portion of every year without pay or job security, even though the break was part of the show’s standard production calendar.

A major factor behind the guild’s push was the Fair Work Act reforms of 2022, which introduced tough restrictions on the repeated use of fixed-term contracts across Australia. These changes prompted many writers to question whether the amendments applied to them, especially since Home and Away relied heavily on repeat fixed contracts.

Apolonio clarified that the guild believed the revised legislation should indeed cover Home and Away’s scriptwriters. Once that position was formally presented and discussed with Seven, the network agreed to transition the writing team into ongoing, permanent roles.

The move comes with clear benefits. Permanent employment ensures that writers will now be paid during shutdown periods, including over Christmas, and will receive guaranteed public holiday pay — a major improvement in financial stability for the team that crafts the show’s storylines year after year.

While the production undergoes restructuring behind the scenes, viewers have been treated to brand-new promo teasers for what awaits on screen when the show returns after its festive break. Home and Away last aired with a massive cliffhanger, leaving audiences stunned after a destructive train derailment that rocked Summer Bay. When the series resumes on January 19, 2026, the fallout from that disaster will take center stage.

Several characters are still trapped in the collapsed tunnel caused by the crash, and tension rises as rescuers scramble to reach them. In the newly released previews, Levi Fowler and Tane Parata take matters into their own hands, ignoring strict police orders in a desperate attempt to save the people they love who are still buried beneath the wreckage.

The storyline doesn’t stay confined to Summer Bay either. Fans can also expect dramatic developments out west, where long-loved characters Daryl “Brax” Braxton and Ricky Sharp make their highly anticipated return in a Western Australia arc. Their Outback plot promises major surprises and emotional twists as the show blends returning favorites with the tense aftermath of the train disaster.

As Home and Away moves into 2026 with both on-screen turmoil and off-screen reforms, the series is entering a bold new era — one that protects its writers and keeps viewers on edge with high-stakes drama.