Canberra's role as the national capital is recognised through significant investment in the first budget of the Albanese Government.
The most significant new commitment in the Budget is the investment in a major National Security Office Precinct in Barton. The project includes new Commonwealth Government buildings that will accommodate around 5,000 staff, new retail and hospitality amenities, and new structured car parking in the Parliamentary Triangle. This investment will create thousands of jobs during the construction period 2023-2028.
The Budget funds key election commitments to be delivered in partnership with the ACT Government. These include:
- An additional $85.9 million for extending Light Rail stage 2A
- $10 million for the Youth Foyer at the Woden CIT campus
- $5 million towards the Garden City Cycle Route
- $5 million for Gorman House Art Centre upgrades
We also welcome the $15 million to reopen and improve AIS Arena, and look forward to further engagement with the Commonwealth on further precinct renewal.
Other projects funded in the ACT include $38.5 million for Scrivener Dam Upgrades, Weston Creek Tennis Club upgrades, funds to help the University of Canberra develop their Sport's Hub Precinct and three Community Batteries located in Casey, Dickson and Fadden.
We also welcome the investment in regional transport connectivity, $65 million to construct Dunns Creek Road between Googong and Canberra, and $17.4 million to upgrade the road from the Brindabella Valley to the ACT.
This Budget represents one of the most substantial investments from a Federal Government in ACT infrastructure in over a decade.
A clear signal from this Budget is that, in the Albanese Government, the Australian Public Service will be treated with respect. There is no decentralisation and no vicious Budget cuts that was a Budget legacy of successive Liberal Governments. In fact we se the opposite with over $70 million in vestment to re-build and reform the Australian Public Service including a $25 million capability re-investment fund.
To have the Coalition Opposition use the most basic of support for the nation's capital as an aggressive attack on the Budget is disgraceful. Describing public servants as having 'three-fifths of bugger all' knowledge of what happens in this country shows that the Coalition have no interest in the Nation's Capital, and no interest in supporting the delivery of good public services in Australia.
The National Housing Accord announced tonight will go a long way to addressing the supply and affordability of housing here in the ACT. We look forward to working with the Federal Government on the implementation plan as set out in the Accord to deliver the immediate actions here in the ACT.
The ACT Government welcomes the five point plan to address cost of living pressures for households, particularly access to cheaper Childcare that will support approximately 23,200 Canberra families. There is also a plan to address rising healthcare costs, with cheaper medicines through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and the Albanese Government's commitment to a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic on Canberra's southside.
