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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 05 Hansard (Tuesday, 4 May 2004) . . Page.. 1745 ..

We will fund 10 new police in 2004-05 and an additional 10 in 2005-06 at a cost of $7.7 million over four years. This will make a total of 40 new police officers since the government was elected.

A program of reducing property crime will address property offending with the provision of intensive responses to recidivist and high-risk property offenders, at a cost of over $1.3 million per annum.

The budget provides more firefighters, ambulance paramedics and operational support staff, and long-term funding to ensure the services are better equipped, better trained and more strategically deployed to meet the needs of the ACT community.

The government is investing in more effective organisations, more people, more training, and proven technical solutions in a manner that builds on the recommendations of the McLeod report.

This government will increase the emergency services budget by over $12 million annually.

The budget provides for the establishment and ongoing operation of a new, independent emergency services authority with broad powers to protect and preserve life, property and the environment in the ACT.

The budget supports the creation of a new joint emergency services training academy to ensure a high and consistent capability level across the services and provides for a feasibility study and forward design of the proposed academy.

There will be 24 new firefighter positions to support the ACT Fire Brigade’s capability to deal with hazardous materials and chemical, biological and radiological threats and 12 new positions to maintain service continuity.

In addition, the budget provides 19 new positions in the ACT Ambulance Service to improve response capability and reduce the need for overtime within the current service.

Mr Speaker, the budget takes into account the important role of local residents in protecting their community. The budget provides $420,000 to more than double the size of the ACT Fire Brigade’s community fire unit program. Twenty additional units will be funded in this budget.

Building our economic future

Mr Speaker, the 2004-05 budget is significant for our business community. In December last year the government laid out its long-term economic development strategy in the form of the economic white paper. This strategy has been applauded by business both here and in other jurisdictions. It is actually in reprint.

The four strategic themes of the economic white paper are: supporting business; capitalising on competitive advantage; leveraging intellectual assets; and supportive planning and infrastructure.

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