Page 71 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 12 February 2019
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Meeting Canberrans’ need for safe, suitable and affordable housing is a priority, and in recent years we have delivered the largest renewal program of the territory’s public housing stock in the history of self-government, replacing nearly 1,300 ageing properties with new, modern homes. We have now announced the next stage of investment in Canberra’s public housing, with $100 million dedicated over the next five years to deliver at least 200 new homes and renew a further 1,000 properties.
The 2018-19 budget review provides further support for other priority actions from the new ACT housing strategy released in October, including land tax exemptions for landlords who rent their properties through community housing providers at below-market rates. We understand that affordability and rights for renters are a significant part of the housing challenge. That is why we are currently also in the process of amending the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 to give renters more rights to make a property feel like home and restrain unfair rent increases, at the same time as expanding public housing and affordable land releases.
We are continuing to grow our investment in emergency services to keep Canberrans safe. The 2018-19 budget review delivers five new ambulances and two full paramedic crews to ensure that our emergency response times remain the fastest in the country, as well as more investment in preparing for bushfires as summers get hotter and fire seasons get longer.
We are investing in innovative new justice interventions for non-violent offenders to help break the cycle of imprisonment and recidivism, including implementing the drug and alcohol court and providing accommodation alternatives to remand.
We are helping Canberrans on low and fixed incomes with their costs of living by further expanding the utilities concession scheme. From 1 July this year the concession will increase by $46, bringing the total annual payment to $700.
These initiatives show that the ACT government is continuing to make progress on delivering our 2016 election commitments and the important agenda outlined in the parliamentary agreement. We have work completed or underway on most of these commitments, and continuing to roll them out for Canberrans will be a priority for the government this year.
The 2018-19 budget marked a return to balance after several years of fiscal deficits. We understand that it is important to maintain a broadly balanced budget in the near term to improve the ACT’s resilience and capacity to respond to the next set of economic challenges when they arise. The government’s budget strategy therefore remains focused on strengthening and diversifying the ACT economy, with an emphasis on the creation of good jobs and the delivery of high quality services to Canberrans; maintaining a strong operating balance over the medium term; and investing in infrastructure projects that will protect Canberra’s livability and boost our productivity as the city grows.
The 2018-19 budget review confirms that we are on track with this approach, and its key balance sheet metrics are consistent with the maintenance of our AAA credit
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