Page 3971 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 29 November 2022
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quality health care and education. In the amendment I note that we have already discussed this, on 13 October, and I outlined at that time the range of practical support that the government provides to households to address the cost of living.
Let me quickly recap. We provide an $800 rebate on energy and water bills to 31,200 eligible low income households. We have a utilities hardship fund which supports even more vulnerable consumers with access to $100 vouchers through an eligible energy retailer. That is on top of the $800 concession.
We provide motor vehicle registration concessions, a 100 per cent discount, for 66,000 motor vehicle registrations in the territory. We provide up to a 100 per cent discount on drivers licence fees for 7,900 eligible drivers. We provide public transport concessions, with reduced or free fares, on bus and light rail services for 5.5 million trips. We are investing $50 million over the next five years in the Vulnerable Household Energy Support Scheme. These are a range of measures to reduce energy hardship for low income home owners, and public, private and social housing renters.
This program, together with the Sustainable Household Scheme, can support households to save thousands of dollars each year on their energy bills, in making the transition away from gas appliances to more efficient electric appliances. Through the Home Energy Support Program, we provide rebates of up to $5,000 for eligible home owners to install energy efficient products and undertake sustainable upgrades. Through the Low-Income Home Energy Program, we support vulnerable and low income households to improve the thermal comfort of their property through measures like improved insulation to reduce their energy costs.
We provide people with a disability or significant mobility restriction with a subsidy on more than 86,000 trips annually through the taxi subsidy scheme. We provide a rates deferral scheme for low income households and property owners aged 65 years or older. We have supported the food security network to provide extra assistance through the community sector, which enables support to be delivered to those who need it most. Through pensioner rebates on rates and the fire and emergency services levy, we provide support for 15,800 eligible households with a 50 per cent rates discount, up to $750 a year, and a $98 rebate on the fire and emergency services levy.
We provide up to a 100 per cent discount on stamp duty for eligible first home buyers. That has supported 6,600 eligible households each year, and for low income households or individuals who need support to buy a pair of spectacles, we provide eligible Canberrans with up to $200 every two years. I am advised that will assist with the purchase of 9,900 pairs of spectacles in the current fiscal year, 2022-23.
They are some of the main ways that the territory government is providing support. That is across a number of different household types, but it touches on up to 31,000 households. To give context to this, we have about 185,000 households in the territory at the moment. Around one in six households is supported through that range
of programs.
I also thought it was timely, given what has been in the news today, ahead of next week’s national cabinet meeting and perhaps in response to the call from Ms Lee for things to be done now, to say that I am advised federal cabinet is finalising a national
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