Page 3153 - Week 10 - Thursday, 15 August 2013
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Our overarching goal is to continue building a connected community that allows all Canberrans to participate in our city’s economic and social life. Perhaps the most important piece of work in this area is community sector reform, which we are undertaking in partnership with the sector. The government is leading the way in working with the commonwealth to provide increased wages for the community sector whilst overseeing structural reforms within both government and the sector that will reap dividends for years to come. We are continuing to meet our commitment to provide support for the impact of the equal remuneration case. This year we will provide $1.51 million in additional support.
Red tape reform is also high on my agenda for this sector. This year we will see changes to ensure that we avoid dual regulation of the sector by aligning the ACT’s regulatory requirements with the commonwealth’s new body, the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission. We are also working with the sector to reduce red tape in our procurement, contracting and reporting arrangements. I have already implemented a series of reforms here, including providing now for 12-monthly financial reporting, halving the reporting requirements for community sector organisations.
Canberra is known for providing a very high quality of life—in fact second to none in this country, with services that residents of other cities certainly envy. But we should not forget that some Canberrans need assistance in managing their everyday expenses. Our approach in this area is guided by the targeted assistance strategy. This strategy has seen a number of recommendations implemented and the tangible results of this work are clear in the 2013-14 budget, chiefly through the provision of $3.6 million through the strategy to provide more flexible arrangements to manage motor vehicle infringement notices for Canberrans most in need.
The budget provides—and we have discussed this at some length—a 10 per cent increase to the energy rebate and a 2½ per cent increase in the utility rebate, which means more than 25,000 households in the territory benefit from these increases. The energy rebate has risen to $322.10 and the utility rebate to $84.05. The combined total is $406.15.
But supporting the community is more than just about providing financial assistance. It is about giving people the tools to bring about change in their lives. One such proven strategy to do this is through the microcredit program. The budget provides funding of more than $400,000 over four years to support a wide variety of target groups.
It is fair to say that the government continues to recognise the value that community facilities provide for community organisations and the general community, both for places that they can meet and gather and for the delivery of services. So there is more than half a million dollars invested in this year’s budget on top of the usual program to accelerate the repair and maintenance of a number of ageing facilities.
The budget also builds on initiatives of previous years to help expand community service and community facility provision—particularly in this budget looking at the
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