Page 2221 - Week 06 - Thursday, 7 June 2018
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Gungahlin. Given that the Gungahlin Common Ground site is surrounded by vacant land already owned by the ACT government, we believe it would be more cost effective to expand there first.
Housing is the single biggest expense for low and moderate income households and it is non-discretionary. When it comes to the provision of affordable rental housing, we are also going backwards. Some people are forced to really question how they fund their household budget. However, there is hope. We look forward to seeing the housing strategy, capturing many great ideas from last year’s housing summit, being released later this year. We hope it includes innovative measures to truly increase the affordable housing options for people in rental stress. It will also need adequate funding to achieve what will no doubt be ambitious goals compared to the current status quo. We would do well to look at our New Zealand counterparts for examples of decisive action in this space.
For people at the other end of the housing spectrum, we are very supportive of the stamp duty exemptions for first home buyers, in conjunction with removing the first home owners grant, that have been included in this budget.
The ACT government’s systems of concessions and rates deferments are also very important for fairness. The mid-year budget review increased the utilities concession available to many low income households. This budget includes further action on concessions and rates deferments. The Greens, along with most economists and business groups, have supported the ACT’s tax reform program due to its economic benefits. However, we are also focused on fairness as well as economic efficiency.
This past year we have heard strong voices from unit owners concerned about tax reform. We are pleased that the general rates aged deferral scheme is being expanded to cover many more ratepayers. It was previously only available for older ratepayers whose home was one of the 20 per cent most expensive by land value. This was unfair for those with lower value properties and few, if any, unit owners would have qualified. Now, people over 65 living in units they own will also qualify. The Greens will continue to closely monitor the fairness of tax reform. And for the deferral expansion to be considered successful, the take-up will need to rise substantially from its current very low level.
On other concessions, free off-peak public transport for concession cardholders is an agreement item, and we are pleased to see a 12-month extension of this trial, which has been well received by low income Canberrans.
As the transition to the full NDIS draws closer, we are pleased to see the additional $1.8 million for the integrated service response program. It is critical that the ACT can provide emergency funding where the first phase of the NDIS has shown up gaps and can provide advocacy for those who need to ensure the scheme delivers on its intentions. One of the main benefits of the scheme, the ability to tailor funding to individual needs, can only work if participants are supported to fully advocate for their needs. The expansion of the disability inclusion grants program extends opportunities for the wider community to back initiatives to shape our city to be accessible and inclusive for people with a disability.
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