Page 465 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 19 February 2020
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others. The ACT government wants to ensure that Canberrans can enjoy our beautiful city; this is why the government provides concession, rebate and payment plans to make sure that the everyday cost of living does not derail the wellbeing of any family or individual.
Ensuring that the cost of living is sustainable for Canberrans is a priority of the 2019-20 budget, with several measures being introduced across multiple portfolios to help Canberrans financially.
The government has introduced a number of initiatives aimed at reducing utility costs, particularly for low income families, because we understand that utility costs can weigh heavily upon the family budget. This includes a utilities concession of up to $700 a year, which is available to eligible concession card holders to help them with water, electricity and gas bills. This concession is one of the most generous in Australia, as it combines water and electricity into a single concession and provides equal support to both home owners and tenants.
The government also partners with ActewAGL to fund the energy support fund, which makes energy vouchers available to community groups, giving extra assistance to some of the most vulnerable Canberrans in paying energy bills such as those for heating in Canberra winters.
The government has continued to maintain price regulation of water services, as well as retail electricity prices, in order to ensure that prices remain reasonable for all members of the community.
We also provide a free home visit assessment service, which helps households to identify ways to reduce their energy and water consumption, and includes free draught-proofing for Canberrans on low or fixed incomes. This allows consumers to make choices to reduce their consumption bill and empowers Canberrans.
Additionally, the government has introduced the energy efficiency improvement scheme as part of the ACT’s transition to a zero-emission future. Under the scheme, energy retailers assist households to implement energy saving measures. The scheme focuses on low income households. We are also working on introducing minimum energy performance standards for rental properties, further assisting tenants with lowering their energy costs.
As well as supporting Canberrans with utility costs, we provide extensive support to reduce the costs of transport, particularly for Canberrans on low or fixed incomes. This includes free vehicle registration and drivers licence renewal for pensioners who hold pension concession cards, and either a 50 or 65 per cent discount for Canberrans on Newstart. We also reduce the cost of transport by providing free public transport for eligible seniors and concession card holders, and we have reduced the age of eligibility from 62 to 60, allowing more Canberrans to access these concessions.
In light of the recent hailstorm and the subsequent damage to around 30,000 vehicles, the government has announced that it will assist with government fees and charges Canberrans may have to pay in order to get back on the road. In particular, we will
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