Building for the future
The ACT Government is investing to grow services and infrastructure now, so we can meet our community’s needs in the years ahead. Our aim is to keep Canberra liveable and protect our city’s character as we grow.
The federal Coalition Government has not invested in Canberra over the past six years. The ACT has received just 0.8 per cent of national infrastructure funding during the Coalition’s last two terms, despite ours being one of the fastest-growing communities in Australia. Public service staffing cuts and the damaging decentralisation agenda have undermined one of our largest employment bases, while the Coalition Government has refused to contribute a fair share to funding essential services like our hospitals and schools.
With the Coalition having just been returned for a further term in government, there is little prospect of this situation changing in the next three years. But with Canberra growing by around 8,000 people a year, we cannot allow local services and infrastructure to fall behind as our community continues to grow.
So through the 2019-20 Budget, the ACT Government is stepping up to invest in Canberra. Just as we did five years ago when we used the Territory’s balance sheet to respond to the Mr Fluffy crisis and Tony Abbott’s cuts, we will now use the ACT Budget to keep building for Canberra’s future.
The investments we are making today in infrastructure, services and better social outcomes will benefit Canberrans for decades to come. So we are not asking the community to pay for these upfront through higher taxes or more fees and charges.
We will instead use the ACT Budget to get on with this important work because it needs to happen now. If we fall behind with building our schools, hospitals and social infrastructure, Canberrans will pay the price as our city continues to grow.
We are building for the future because we know a strong community and a liveable city are what matter most to Canberrans.
Andrew Barr
ACT Chief Minister
Related
Media Release: The 2019-20 ACT Budget is building for Canberra’s future