The ACT government has handed down its 2022-23 budget, with a focus on moving beyond the setbacks of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here's what you need to know about which services and projects are getting a boost:
Arts and Culture
Design and planning work for the Canberra Theatre Centre upgrades will receive $62 million in funding over four years. The facility will aim to host local, national and international events and attract a greater number of visitors. Gorman House Arts centre will also receive major heritage restorations, costing $8 million, while $3.1 million will go towards the ACT Arts Fund to support the Belconnen, Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centres.
Businesses
Businesses aren't direct beneficiaries of government funds in this year's budget, as was the case in the 2021-22 budget with the COVID-19 Business Support Grants. The government will invest $22.4 million over four years into delivering the CBR Switched On economic development strategy, to stimulate jobs in the territory. A further $4.2 million over the next four years will go towards attracting and retaining more domestic and international students, which could be key to addressing Canberra's skills shortage.
Education
The budget has allocated $84.4 million to Whitlam's new primary school and early education and care centre. Meanwhile, Margaret Hendry School and the new public high school in Taylor have also been earmarked with a $33.1 million investment. Majura Primary School will also receive $40.5 million towards modernising, while $8.5 million will be spent on reusing and buyding more demountables across Canberra schools. A safe schools taskforce will also seek to reduce the risk of violence, with $1.4 million to be spent in the next year. The ACT government will also start planning work for a second Gungahlin college.
Environment
Urban tree planting, more track and trail maintenance in Canberra nature parks, and the design work for a new visitors' centre at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve are all budget priorities, with a $10-million package. A new bushfire management plan for the territory is also in the works.
Healthcare
An additional 170 healthcare professionals will be employed over the next two years across Canberra Hospital and walk-in centres. A sum of $16.4 million will go towards hiring more allied healthcare workers, such as physiotherapists, social workers, psychologists and occupational therapists at the hospital, while $3 million will be put towards employing more nurse practitioners at walk-in centres. The government wants to reduce elective surgery wait times by delivering more elective surgeries - 60,000 by the end of the 2024 financial year - at a cost of $29.8 million over four years. Calvary Public Hospital's capacity will also be expanded, with $27.5 million over four years going towards expanding general services, adding an extra intensive care bed, four additional inpatient beds as well as establishing Gestational Diabetes Mellitus service and delivering three new special care nursery cots. Palliative care services will also see a $2.59 million boost, with the money going towards Leo's Place, the territory's only non-clinical respite facility. Funding of $4.6 million over four years will ensure medical and surgical abortions will be free up to 16 weeks, and long-acting reversible contraceptives are provided at the time of the abortion.
Mental Health
Perinatal, infant and child mental health and wellbeing will receive $14.5 million over four years. That will go towards services such as consistent, universal perinatal mental health screening and expanding the Childhood Early Intervention Team into the Gungahlin Child and Family Centre. Youth mental health support will be topped up with $8.1 million over four years, while programs to reduce the harm caused by alcohol and other drugs will receive the same investment. Suicide prevention programs will also be expanded with a $3.5 million boost over four years, to include things like follow-up care post hospital discharge.
Public Housing
The government will spend $29.8 million over the next four years on delivering its program to grow public housing stock by 400 additional dwellings. The money will cover 140 dwellings already promised, but which funding had not yet been allocated to. A sum of $57.3 million has been set aside for repairs and maintenance on housing, while homelessness programs that began during COVID-19 will be extended to 2025 with a $7.3 million investment.
Public Service
The government will forge forward with its flexible working arrangements, with existing ACT government office space in Gungahlin to be transformed into a so-called flexi hub. This is in addition to hubs in Tuggeranong and Belconnen funded in last year's budget. The idea is that workers can commute to nearby town centres rather than being required to work from their directorates. A total $5.5 million will also go toward consolidating the management of industrial relations into an Office of Industrial Relations and Workforce Strategy. The government will also consolidate funding from directorates into improving return-to-work service efficiency for injured and ill ACT public servants.
Rentals
The government is moving ahead with plans for build-to-rent to reduce Canberra's rental affordability woes. Build-to-rent is a housing model where a large-scale, rental development is held in single ownership and professionally managed, rather than being sold to individual owners. The budget seeks to stimulate investment in build-to-rent schemes by offering discounts to developers who incorporate at least 15 per cent affordable rentals that are managed by a registered community housing provider for a minimum of 15 years.
Roads
Five intersections on Canberra's south side will be upgraded: Streeton Drive/Namatjira Drive, Streeton Drive/Heysen Street, Tharwa Drive/Lawrence Wackett Drive, Tharwa Drive/Norman Lindsay Street and Hume. The upgrades are part of a $24 million spend on roads and active travel which will also see upgrades to key sections of Boboyan Road as well as the installation of pedestrian crossings at Gold Creek High School and St Mary MacKillop College.
Suburban Infrastructure
The budget takes on Canberra's struggles with fast-growing long grass, funding 10 additional mowers at a cost of $842,00 in 2022-23. Three timber bridges in Umbagong District Park will be replaced at a cost of $3.8 million, while a destination playground in the inner north will get a $2.6 million investment. That will cover park seating, picnic tables, nature play equipment, static exercise equipment, synthetic soft-fall, two multi-use courts, a bike track and toilet facilities. Charnwood shopping centre will also see pavement improvement works, and design works will be undertaken for Kippax Group Centre.
Tourism
Canberra will ramp up its tourism advertising, with $600,000 set aside for campaigns with industry partners, while a further $1 million will be split towards a fund for tourism marketing and one for business initiatives aimed at driving tourism. An extra $1 million will be invested over four years in the Floriade and Enlighten Festivals, while the 2023 National Multicultural Festival will receive $2.7 million to host its 25th anniversary event. A further $500,000 will go to the Major Events Fund, which supports the acquisition of new events and exhibitions to convince more people to visit Canberra.
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