The Chief Minister has released the ACT budget, with an overview on ABC and a stack of media releases on the CM site.
Some good news from Gungahlin’s perspective:
$22M for Flemington Road duplication (only enough for the design??)
$18M for community health centre
Funds for park’n’rides
But given it’s an election budget, sure there’ll be some good news for all districts.
[Ed. Maelinar notes some more highlights of the budget courtesy of ABC Online]
The centrepiece of the 2008-09 Budget is a $1 billion infrastructure investment program.
The ‘Building the Future’ program is a five-year investment and the Treasurer says it is the largest capital investment in the ACT since self-government.
The majority of the money will go towards the health system, investment in transport and climate change initiatives.
But there is no relief from taxes imposed in previous years.
Mr Stanhope says the pain of past budgets has saved the ACT from fiscal disaster and set the Territory up for future prosperity.
“I’ll say it now and up front, but for the decisions that we’ve taken in the past, this year’s Budget would present a deficit of $150 million,” he said.
Budget surplus
- 2008-09 Budget delivers an $84.9 million surplus
- Surplus expected to be maintained across forward estimates to 2011-12
- $1 billion spent on massive capital works
- $700 million will be funded from past budget surpluses, with $300 million funded as part of this election year budget and future budget capacity
Capital works investment
The $1 billion ‘Building the Future’ program over 5 years will include:
- $300 million start up investment in the creation of a new health system
- $200 million boost to existing capital works
- Transport – $250 million
- Urban Amenities – $100 million
- Climate Change Initiatives – $100 million
- Information and Communication Technology – $50 million
Health
The ‘Building the Future’ program has allocated $300 million for the first stage of what is expected to be a $1 billion redevelopment of ACT health facilities. This will include:
- $90 million – Women and children’s hospital at The Canberra Hospital
- $23.6 million – Adult mental health acute in-patient unit
- $18 million – New community health centre at Gungahlin
- $9.4 million – 16 new beds ICU/HDU/CCU facility at Calvary Hospital
- $2.4 million – 24 additional beds at the Canberra Hospital
- $5 million – Redevelopment of community health centres
Transport
The ‘Building Futures Program’ has allocated $250 million to transport system initiatives:
- $21 million – Upgrade of Tharwa Drive and Airport Roads
- $49.5 million – ACTION bus fleet replacement
- $500,000 – Bus lanes and bus priority measures
- $530,000 – Park ‘n’ Ride and Bike ‘n’ Ride facilities
- $16.5 million – Construction of a bus interchange in Belconnen and extension of Cohen Street
- $22 million – Duplication of Athllon Drive and Flemington Road
- $84 million – Future projects
Climate Change
The ‘Building Futures Program’ has allocated $100 million to tackle climate change:
- $24.4 million – ‘One Million Trees’ initiative will fund the planting of additional trees across the city, ten new forests at the Canberra International Arboretum and Gardens
- $3 million – Energy-efficient street lighting
- $16 million – Stages one and two of the ‘Where We Will Play?’ sportsground project
Taxation
- Tax concessions for pensioners and first home buyers
- 20 per cent increase in payroll tax threshold benefiting small businesses
$25 mil for transport is in Hargreaves language 25% of a functioning light rail network.
The $24.4 mil for Aboretum II would take us to 50%.
Who put these windowlickers in charge ?
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