Page 1986 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 5 August 2014
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MR BARR: These projects, of course, bring a range of benefits to service delivery within the territory, focusing on areas of health, the justice system and also public transportation. There are a number of projects that are contained within the government’s forward infrastructure agenda that not only contribute to the social and cultural life of the city but also add to our capacity to deliver services in a cost-effective way.
The rollout of these projects over the rest of this decade and beyond will contribute significantly to employment opportunities and will also leverage new private sector investment into our economy. The projects that are aligned with the city plan, the city to the lake work, obviously have significant opportunities for private sector investment. That investment is being sought internationally, nationally and locally, and with tremendous success. In recent times we have seen significant international interest. The purchase of all five sites associated with the Campbell 5 land release is a good indication of the level of international interest in investment in Canberra. We will continue to pursue this through the Invest Canberra arm of the Economic Development Directorate, as well as the work that the Chief Minister and I are undertaking in China, South-East Asia, North America and other key investment markets for the ACT.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Coe.
MR COE: Treasurer, what BCR does Treasury require for each of these projects to get off the ground?
MR BARR: That will vary depending on the nature of the project. Some obviously are social infrastructure and so have a variety of benefits to the community beyond just the economic. Things of that vein include the convention centre, new stadia facilities and new hospitals, for example, none of which would have an anticipated economic return to the government. They may have a return to the territory, but it would be difficult to quantify all of those in the longer term. So in terms of social procurement we look at a range of factors.
In terms of investment in infrastructure that might generate a return to the budget, we would certainly be looking for a return greater than one.
Budget—ICT cost savings
MR DOSZPOT: My question is to the Treasurer. Treasurer, you announced savings of approximately $93.6 million over four years with a focus on generating these through the use of digital and online technology. What proportion of these savings will be derived through the government’s ICT initiatives?
MR BARR: Over time, a significant proportion. We are certainly looking at the opportunity to have the bulk of transactions with the territory government undertaken utilising digital means, be that through apps and smartphone payments or online on the web. We recognise that the cost of a face-to-face transaction with the ACT government is approximately $10 per transaction. That can be reduced to 1c, or thereabouts, per transaction if it is undertaken online.
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