Furry felines will be able to be walked on leads in cat containment zones, but any cat born from today must remain on their own property at all other times. Photo: Kevin Wells.
It’s the first of July.
The start of the new financial year brings a fair chunk of changes from rate increases to new laws, changes to stamp duty and increases in fees associated with births, deaths and marriage registrations.
Here are all of the changes you need to be aware of.
Cat containment laws
Additional cat containment laws are now in effect, meaning any cat born from today will need to be kept on its owner’s premises.
They can, however, be taken for walks on a lead thanks to some minor changes to the laws made by the ACT Government earlier this year.
All cats will need to be registered.
Older cats are subject to cat containment laws only if they live in any of the ACT’s 17 designated cat containment suburbs.
Last straw for plastics
From today, an increasing number of single-use plastics are illegal in the Territory.
That includes plastic straws, all oxodegradable plastics and cotton buds with plastic sticks, although exemptions apply for people with a disability who require a straw.
Chief Minister and Treasurer Andrew Barr’s tax reform program has taken another step forward today. Photo: Lottie Twyford.
Rate hikes
In line with the government’s tax reform program, ongoing changes to residential and commercial rates are once again being made this year.
Rates have increased by an average of 3.75 per cent.
The safer families levy has also increased by $5 to $40 and the fee to obtain a certificate of rates, land tax and other charges is now $128 – up from $124.
Duty
Some changes to stamp duty have also been made, in line with that same tax reform program.
For example, the base rate of duty has been reduced for residential owner-occupiers and the property value threshold increased.
See Revenue for more information on what those changes will mean for you.
Some increases have also been made to the Home Buyer Concession Scheme, the Pensioner Duty Concession Scheme and the Disability Duty Concession Scheme.
Government charges
Many ACT Government administrative charges are increasing by around 3.25 per cent in line with annual adjustments to the Wage Price Index.
Animal-related charges and fees, and those associated with births, deaths and marriage registrations are all on the up.
If you’re interested, an application for a circus or travelling zoo permit will now be $262.75 – a 3.24 per cent increase on the last financial year.
Anything else?
From today, Australians will get a boost in their superannuation accounts thanks to a 0.5 per cent rise in the Superannuation Guarantee rate, from 10 per cent to 10.5 per cent.
Families receiving Centrelink payments will also receive a boost while the JobSeeker program will also be dramatically adjusted to a points-based system.
The latter will replace the current system where people must apply for 20 jobs every month.
Any changes to power prices (either up or down, depending on your provider) will also be made.
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