Page 2799 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 13 August 2019
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incredibly important to set the ACT up for long-term success in the education sector and builds upon our free 15 hours of preschool a week or up to 600 hours per year. This budget demonstrates the ACT Labor government’s commitment to giving every child an equal start to their education.
In conclusion, we know that education is the best way to break down barriers and provide better outcomes for individuals and our community. Our ACT Labor government is delivering on our commitment to education because we believe that every person deserves an education that allows them to get the most out of life. Through the 2019 ACT budget, the government is building for the future by delivering the investment we need today to ensure that every student can continue to find a place at a great local school close to home, and all people are supported to achieve their full potential.
Proposed expenditure agreed to.
Transport Canberra and City Services—Part 1.5
MR STEEL (Murrumbidgee—Minister for Community Services and Facilities, Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Minister for Transport and City Services) (4.07): I rise to speak in support of the budget in relation to Transport Canberra and City Services and talk about the important measures that are being delivered through this budget to ensure that we are investing in our suburbs and protecting what is unique about Canberra and its suburbs. I have been minister for city services for around 51 weeks and minister for transport for six, and the work that is being progressed through the budget is incredibly important for Canberra, whether it is planning for the next stage of our city light rail network or whether its ensuring that playgrounds in Oxley, Florey and Stirling receive improvements to their amenity or that work that is being undertaken in the transport and city services portfolio more broadly.
I really welcome the opportunity to outline many of the excellent initiatives brought forward in this budget. The government is committed to significantly investing in better public transport to protect the liveability of our growing city. Our public transport, active travel and road networks play an important part in moving the community around quickly, safely and with the lowest possible impact on our environment.
This budget provides ongoing support for services and contract management for the highly successful stage 1 of light rail from Gungahlin to the city, and the new, integrated transport network is making it easier for Canberrans to use public transport by delivering on what we know people in our city have asked for. We will continue to build on our new public transport network with a new, more modern bus fleet, planning for a new, integrated ticketing system and the extension of light rail from the city to Woden.
We have committed to the purchase of 84 modern and fuel-efficient buses to improve accessibility and passenger comfort, increased reliability and lower maintenance costs on the new public transport network. The new buses will ensure that the ACT retains
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