Page 817 - Week 03 - Thursday, 2 April 2020
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the capability to meet demands as they arise. We all know that our health system has been working very hard over the past month to prepare and respond to the impact of COVID on our systems.
It is important to keep in mind that, while we are currently all rightly focused on the COVID-19 crisis, our minds will need to return to the climate emergency once the COVID matter passes. The Greens are very pleased that the budget review provides an extra $4 million over the next four years to help reduce the territory’s greenhouse gas emissions. The funding will pay for important initiatives such as implementing the minimum energy efficiency standards for rental properties and installing electric vehicle charging stations.
I am also pleased that the review extends until 2023 the land tax exemption for private landlords who rent their properties at 75 per cent or less of market rent through community housing providers. This was both a Greens and a Liberals idea originally. However, I note that it is still referred to as a pilot. The scheme represents excellent value for money in terms of affordable housing outcomes. The Greens believe it should be made permanent to give it a fair go and allow for serious take-ups of it so that landlords can have confidence that the scheme will continue to exist into the future.
The review also includes important transport funding. The Greens support this continued investment in improving our public transport network in the ACT. In conclusion, the budget review and the COVID emergency response packages include important initiatives for the Canberra community. The Greens are pleased to support the bill today.
MR BARR (Kurrajong—Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Social Inclusion and Equality, Minister for Tourism and Special Events and Minister for Trade, Industry and Investment) (5.22), in reply: I thank the opposition and the Greens for their support for the legislation. Obviously, the bill has changed somewhat in the last few weeks. The bill’s main focus now is on providing additional resources and capacity to quickly respond to the impact of COVID-19. The single largest initiative funded through the appropriation bill, namely the additional $186 million for health services, which includes the $63 million in increased commonwealth funding through the national partnership, does provide the territory with a strong capacity to respond to COVID-19.
The bill provides a total of $144 million for net cost of outputs appropriation, of which $132.8 million relates to funding support for the growing demand for health services. That is excluding the $63 million, which is the commonwealth’s funding contribution. The bill also supports an increase in available funding of $220 million, which is held as Treasurer’s advance funding, so that the government can respond to the urgent needs of directorates dealing with the stimulus package or economic survival package and the community health impacts related to COVID-19.
The new programs announced in the budget review will still of course go ahead and are provided for in the bill. That is the funding to Venues Canberra; the funding for the Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services; the additional support for vulnerable children and young people in the out of home care system; the
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