Page 3477 - Week 08 - Thursday, 23 August 2012
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MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Thank you, there is no point of order. Mr Barr, you have the floor.
MR BARR: Thank you, Madam Assistant Speaker. The budget has indeed allocated more than $60 million for infrastructure in the new suburbs of Molonglo and, of course, a continuation of our infrastructure program in Gungahlin. The land release program for the next four years is 19½ thousand dwellings, 5,000 this year and the next two years and 4,500 in the fiscal year 2015-16.
More than $20 million has been allocated in the budget to support the growth, diversification and jobs business development strategy. Included in that is a $12 million grant and payroll tax waiver for NICTA, Australia’s information and communication technology research centre of excellence. As Mr Smyth alluded to in his contribution, there is $2.6 million for the centenary branding of Canberra exercise.
We are also engaged in support for the Canberra business development fund. I have been chairing a number of meetings, successful meetings to date, of the red tape reduction panel, and I thank the Canberra Business Council, the chamber of commerce, whose board I met with the other night, and the Council of Small Business Associations for their active engagement in the red tape reduction panel. We are pleased to continue our support for CollabIT, for Innovation Connect to establish the my digital city innovation prize, the social media buy local campaign, amongst others, in the business development strategy.
Turning to tourism, sport and recreation, we know that Canberrans love their sport, both as active participants and as spectators. This year’s budget contains a variety of projects that encourage further participation in sport and recreation and enhance our sports facilities. We are delighted, of course, to receive commonwealth funding—and for the Prime Minister to have made the announcement at a Giants AFL match at Manuka oval earlier this year—for lighting at Manuka. We are delighted, of course, that the territory will host the Australian cricket team for the very first time in our history, in our centenary year, in a one-day international under lights at Manuka oval on 6 February. There is a really strong sports program in our centenary year. There is funding for a new grandstand at the enclosed oval in Gungahlin, funding to restore sportsgrounds in Bonython, Watson and Weetangera and $2.15 million for a range of other sportsgrounds infrastructure improvements.
The budget also provides funding for a range of tourism initiatives, including the marketing campaign and, of course, further assistance for the Canberra Convention Bureau to work on a range of marketing activities in the business tourism sector.
So overall the Economic Development Directorate are performing very well. Six different areas of ACT government have come together into a unified directorate. Mr Hanson has left the room, so I will not go through the org chart for his benefit, but it is a fantastic directorate to work with. I certainly enjoy working with the team and look forward to their continued contribution to the economic development of the territory.
Proposed expenditure agreed to.
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