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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 05 Hansard (Tuesday, 4 May 2004) . . Page.. 1750 ..

The capital program includes a sustainable infrastructure program of $4 million to supplement capital projects to enhance their environmental performance and sustainability. Such projects may include upgrades of older schools, development of community facilities and refits of office accommodation.

We will increase energy efficiency and pursue water reduction and reuse, alternative energy sources and other activities that can deliver cost-effective enhancements and environmental performance.

The Office of Sustainability’s budget will be increased by $373,000 over the next four years. This will enhance the office’s ability to provide detailed assistance on specific sustainability initiatives, including water, transport and large infrastructure projects, and to assess the sustainability of proposals coming forward. The office will also produce a regular report to the community on progress towards sustainability in the territory.

Funding of $1.2 million over four years is also provided to implement the 2004 greenhouse strategy initiative. This supports community engagement aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the residential sector. The energise your home program will provide an energy efficiency audit service for existing homes and financial assistance with the introduction of approved energy efficiency improvements.

Mr Speaker, the territory will use partnerships with external research organisations to bring together and promote research priorities identified as essential to conservation management and the long-term recovery of ACT threatened species. Recurrent funding of $140,000 indexed has been provided for this initiative.

Continuing the government’s effort of landscape renewal following the bushfire, the riparian habitat recovery initiative will receive funding of $318,000 per annum for the next three years. Greening Australia will be engaged in the rehabilitation of rivers, streams and degraded drainage lines. Riparian green teams will be developed to focus and encourage community involvement in the renewal work.

Improved catchment management will also receive a boost, with $816,000 over four years for better coordination of catchment management measures.

Conclusion

Mr Speaker, to sum up, this budget contains a general government sector surplus of $7.9 million in 2004-05, no new taxes, no major asset sales and no new general government borrowings. It is a budget that will retain our AAA credit rating.

The budget contains new recurrent spending of $96.4 million in 2004-05 and a record capital works programs of $329.9 million, with a significant emphasis on projects that will run over the next three years.

The budget funds a number of major commitments from the social plan, the spatial plan and the economic white paper. It includes an aggregate surplus of $229.4 million over the four-year cycle of our original strategy, from 2002-03 to 2005-06, and an aggregate surplus of $42.4 million over the four years of 2004-05 to 2007-08.

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