ACT Budget 2022-23: every budget promise
From a minister for water to new schools, we bring you the full list of budget promises made by the ACT Government.
Canberra Star
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With the ACT 2022-23 budget to be released on August 2 the ACT Government has been eager to promise a raft of spending for the local community.
Most notable includes commitments to set up an office for water, to upgrade some of Canberra’s dangerous intersections and to inject cash into ACT’s tourism sector.
Here’s the list of every promise made ahead of the 2022-23 budget.
Funding to prevent and respond to sexual assault
On June 9 the ACT Legislative Assembly agreed to the majority of recommendations of the ‘Listen. Take Action to Prevent, Believe and Heal’ report prepared by the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program Steering Committee.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr, Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury and Deputy Chief Minister Yvette Berry made the following budget promises based on the reports recommendations:
- $1.4m over four years for a Victim Survivor Consultation Program;
- $933,000 over four years to design and implement a 10 year strategy for the prevention of sexual violence, focused on changing attitudes and behaviours that lead to sexual violence;
- $1.5m over four years to appoint and establish the role of independent Sexual Violence Advisers in the ACT;
- $4.4m over four years to design and pilot a Multidisciplinary Centre in the ACT to “co-locate specialist sexual violence responses and services” and provide victim survivors a “holistic” service response.
- $585,000 over two years for a Specialist Services Review to understand where operational changes are needed to address victim survivors’ needs.
Maternity services
On June 24 Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith announced the government would invest “more than” $12m to support the 10 year Maternity in Focus Plan.
The plan was developed following recommendations into the Legislative Assembly inquiry into Maternity Services in the ACT.
Goals of the Maternity in focus plan include
- Establishing new scholarships to train midwives and doctors in areas such as lactation, perinatal loss and perinatal mental health;
- Increasing maternity services in Canberra’s north by expanding the special care nursery and establishing a Gestational Diabetes service at Calvary Hospital;
- Starting a scoping study to look into residential services to support mental health for new parents.
Community sector funding
On June 30 a statement from Mr Barr stated the ACT Government will increase funding to a wide range of community organisations in the territory budget.
The statement said the funding increases would reflect Fair Work Commission Annual Wage Review and would adjust “the methodology to reflect the impact of the decision on Award wages”.
The statement did not promise a dollar figure for funding.
However it stated the government supports about 100 community provides who deliver 250 essential services in areas including homelessness, family safety, mental health and drug and alcohol.
Mr Barr foreshadowed specific funding for Roundabout Canberra to provide necessities for Canberrans receiving assistance through Health, Education and Child Protection Services.
He also promised to extend the funding of the Refugee Asylum Seeker and Humanitarian (RASH) Coordination Committee, but did not cite a dollar figure.
Mowing
On July 7 Mr Barr and Transport and City Services Minister Chris Steel promised to invest in Canberra’s city maintenance program through the upcoming budget.
The announcement did not come with a dollar figure but promised:
- To pilot a one year rapid mowing response team to respond to urgent mowing priorities.
- To hire ten new staff across three teams as part of the rapid mowing response team pilot.
- To expand the City Services Holder Depot to assist in the ACT Government’s plan to plant 54,000 new trees by 2024
- To hire 11 new staff in the growing urban treescapes unit at the Holder Depot
Local infrastructure upgrades
On July 7 Mr Barr and Mr Steel promised a number of suburban infrastructure upgrades to be addressed in the budget.
The announcement did not come with a dollar figure.
Mr Barr and Mr Steel promised:
- To build a “destination” style playground and recreation park in Watson.
- To invest in the Charnwood Group Centre to upgrade pavements, landscaping and new furniture.
- To replace three timber bridges in the Umbagong District Park. These bridges were closed in early 2021 for safety. The government has promised to build a look out on one of the bridges.
- To begin planning and design for a library in the Molonglo region. The library will be located in the new Molonglo Commercial centre.
- To build a green waste processing facility and landscape depot in West Belconnen. The depot will be located off Stockdill Dr and will replace the existing facility on Parkwood Rd, Holt.
Road Safety Upgrades
On July 12 Mr Barr and Mr Steel announced numerous road upgrade projects to be funded by the upcoming budget.
They promised to upgrade five intersections in Canberra's south with joint funding from the federal government.
- Streeton Drive/Namatjira Drive
- Streeton Drive/Heysen Street
- Tharwa Drive/Lawrence Wackett Crescent
- Tharwa Drive/Norman Lindsay Street
- The Hume Circle which connects Canberra Ave, Sturt Ave and Wentworth Ave.
Mr Barr and Mr Steel claimed the works would contribute to local jobs creation but did not give a figure.
They also announced upgrades to pedestrian and bike infrastructure.
- To construct three new pedestrian crossings near Gold Creek High School and Mary MacKillop College.
- To fund a branch of the Belconnen Bikeway project at Haydon Drive from Battye St to Calvary Hospital
- To co-fund the installation of audio tactile line marking and safety barriers on Brindabella Road.
Mr Barr and Mr Steel said they would push for federal government funding to co-fund upgrades to ACT’s regional roads.
They said the budget would proposed upgrades for the unsealed sections of Boboyan Road in the Namadgi National Park.
No dollar figures were assigned to these promises.
Tourism Industry
On July 13 Mr Barr announced a number of measures aimed at boosting Canberra’s tourism industry.
He promised:
- To invest $600,000 for tourism marketing aimed at domestic and international travellers
- To invest $1M to the Cooperative Marketing Fund and Tourism Product Development fund grant programs to assist tourism businesses.
- To invest $1M over four years to support the Floriade and Enlighten festival.
- To invest $500,000 into the Major Event Fund over the next financial year to support events and exhibitions in Canberra.
Office for water
On July 14 Mr Barr, Mr Rattenbury and Environment Minster Rebecca Vassarotti announced the 2022-23 budget would fund the establishment of an Office for Water in the ACT.
Mr Rattenbury is set to be the inaugural Minister Water.
The Office for Water aims to support better water management in the territory
They promised to allocate $4.2m over the next two years to establish the new office.
Additionally Mr Barr, Mr Rattenbury, and Ms Vassarotti promised the budget would allocate $722,000 over two years to the ACT’s Environment Protection Authority.
New schools and school expansion
On July 18 Mr Barr and Ms Berry promised the budget would provide funding to establish and upgrade schools and colleges in the Gungahlin region.
They promised:
- To build a new high school in Taylor for 800 students
- To expand the Margret Hendry school for 600 more students
- To begin planning and designing for a second year 11-12 college in Gungahlin
No dollar figure was cited for these projects.
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