The ACT Budget for 2021-22 was brought down last night, built on three clear priorities set out by ACT Chief Minister, Andrew Barr.
“To protect the health of the community, deliver on our election commitments, and turbo-charge our economic recovery,” the Chief Minister (pictured) said.
He said yesterday’s Budget was the next stage in a plan to support Canberrans through the coronavirus pandemic and recover it from the “once-in-a-generation crisis”.
“It’s a Budget guided by the principles that have underpinned our response over the past 18 months,” Mr Barr said, “Investing in healthcare and essential services; Protecting and creating jobs; and Protecting our most vulnerable”.
Mr Barr said the Budget would establish a city in which the public sector, the community sector and the private sector work together in efforts to drive a stronger economy and improve the ACT’s community wellbeing.
“Through this Budget, we will continue to build and staff the health system necessary to keep Canberrans healthy and safe,” Mr Barr said.
“We will create and protect thousands of good, secure, Canberra jobs. And we will continue to drive our transition to a zero-emissions future,” he said
He said that at the end of the financial year the Budget will have left a deficit of $951 million, an amount that would take three years to reduce to a $474 million debt in 2024-25, the amount similar to that predicted for this year in the 2020-21 Budget.
The Chief Minister said the next year would see record expenditure in health with $870 million set aside for health infrastructure including the Canberra Hospital Expansion; in education with $950 million for CIT and infrastructure for schools and future school needs; and in transport with $1.4 billion to upgrade the city’s transport network.
He said it would also invest in Canberrans with $100 million for new and refurbished homes right across the city; more than $75 million to expand homelessness services, increased community and multicultural sector funding; and more support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Canberrans.
Mr Barr said the Budget would also see real climate action and environment protection with more than $70 million allocated to delivering the Government’s climate action goals and the protection of Canberra’s unique environment, including an extension of the ACT Healthy Waterways Project.
“We’ve opened the $150 million Sustainable Household Scheme to all eligible households, so that more Canberrans can share in the benefits of a zero-net emissions future,” Mr Barr said.
He said that while the Territory had spent the past 18 months fighting to protect “every Canberra job, every worker, every business,” the coming months would see the city “re-emerge as a regional economic powerhouse”.
“We will face challenges. There will be setbacks,” The Chief Minister said.
“But today’s Budget is another step towards coming out of this difficult time stronger, together.”
Mr Barr’s speech and the Budget details can be accessed on the ACT Treasury website at this PS News link.
