A recovery plan has been released for the ACT outlining how the Territory can be supported to recover from the economic shock of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Unveiling the $4.9 billion Jobs and Economic Recovery Plan, Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the Government would work in partnership with local businesses and the community sector to target more than 250,000 jobs in the Territory by 2025.
“The next stage of economic recovery has to go further, it has to be bigger and bolder,” Mr Barr said.
“We will build the infrastructure a growing city needs, including an expanded Canberra Hospital, an extended light rail network, new schools and a state-of-the-art CIT facility to support thousands of students into the jobs of the future,” he said.
“Our infrastructure plan will support local jobs and confidence in our construction sector, with a clear pipeline of work over the next four years.”
Mr Barr said the infrastructure plan included over $1 billion in transport and active travel projects; over $900 million on health infrastructure; over $400 million to build and upgrade schools; and almost $300 million to build the new CIT campus and public transport interchange in Woden.
He said the Recovery Plan also included immediate support for businesses and Canberra households.
“Having already injected $159 million in initial economic survival measures to protect jobs and support businesses and households, we will invest a further $720 million,” the Chief Minister said.
Mr Barr said a Canberra Economic Recovery Advisory Group (CERAG) would be established to assist with the implementation of the Recovery Plan.
He said the advisory group would bring together economists, public policy experts, industry representatives, community sector partners and unions to provide advice on the implementation of the ACT’s jobs target.
