Nineteen days to the election.

ACT Labor: Bulky waste collection

ACT Labor would trial a kerbside collection program in 20 suburbs from 2025, offering free disposal of unwanted household items.

Labor would organise ‘Second Hand Sundays’, encouraging Canberrans to place unwanted goods on their kerbside for the community to pick up before collections occur the next day.

Collection teams would assess whether items the community does not pick up could be reused or recycled. This initiative aims to reduce illegal dumping. It would complement the existing booking based bulky waste service and other waste programs such as  the container deposit scheme, green bins for garden waste, and the Food and Organic Waste trial in Belconnen and Tuggeranong.

Canberra Liberals leader Elizabeth Lee criticised the lack of detail in Labor’s policy: “Where will it go? How will it work? Will the booking system be exactly the same?” Currently, bulky waste pickup can take six months to book.

Jo Clay, the ACT Greens spokeswoman for the circular economy, said she was pleased to welcome back the Second Hand Sunday program, which ran in Canberra in 2008.

“I’m not sure why Labor cut it, nor why they are now badging it as a new Labor policy,” Ms Clay said. 

“Canberra needs more than stop-start delivery and old ideas to tackle Canberra’s spiralling waste. It’s really important with any new bulky waste scheme or recycling scheme, that we prioritise recycling and designing out waste from the start. We Greens have a whole Circular Economy strategy. We can recycle food waste citywide by 2026. We can recycle all our supermarket packaging by 2028. We can recycle fast fashion and so much more. It’s all possible, if you vote for it.”

Independents for Canberra candidate Anne-Louise Dawes said she would need to understand more about Labor’s bulky waste plan before supporting it.

“Bulky waste is an eyesore if not collected quickly, can encourage illegal dumping, and is another potential hazard for people with mobility issues who are already telling us they’re struggling to navigate our streets safely due to insufficient – and poorly maintained – footpaths.”

Thomas Emerson, the group’s leader, welcomed the focus on waste management, but questioned if it would lead to action.

“I often hear from Canberrans who want more ambition from our government when it comes to building a truly circular economy,” Mr Emerson said. “I would have liked to have seen this announcement accompanied by a commitment to deliver on ACT Labor’s 2020 election commitment to roll out a city-wide FOGO collection service, which hasn’t come to fruition.”

ACT Labor: Trailer and caravan rego

ACT Labor would reduce registration costs for all trailers, caravans and campers from 1 July 2025, saving 5,000 registered owners $150 a year.

Annual registrations for some single axle trailers would be completely free, while the new discount for tradies and other small business owners’ double axle trailers would be reduced by more than 40 per cent.

Labor says the commitment would support families travelling closer to home and tradies and local businesses.

“We know that some households are doing it tough right now, and that’s why we’re helping tens of thousands of Canberrans with their everyday costs,” a Labor spokesperson said.

The Canberra Liberals have already announced a comprehensive cost of living package that includes $100 rebate for all passenger vehicles, caravans, and camper trailers, opposition leader Elizabeth Lee said.

The Liberals would also provide a $150 voucher for every preschool to year 12 student to help with back-to-school costs; a $100 voucher for every preschool to year 12 student to help pay for extracurricular activities; free public transport for students, seniors and concession card holders, all day, every day; and a $50 rebate on electricity bills for every household.

“A Canberra Liberals Government will also cap rate increases at 2.2 per cent which will mean on average, Canberrans will be almost $2000 better off in the first term of government,” Ms Lee said.

“The Labor-Greens government has done very little to assist Canberrans with the cost-of-living pressures they are facing, and it is remarkable that with three weeks until an election they are now pretending to do something about it.”

Belco Party co-convenor Bill Stefaniak asked: “Why didn’t they do this before, and where is the money coming from?

“At least the Belco Party, the Libs, and now Family First are not going to proceed with the tram, so that some money can be saved for better initiatives like the 250 extra police we desperately need and fixing up our health system, not to mention the Chic Henry Canberra International Motor Sport and Driver Training Facility, which actually has the potential to make money for Canberra.”

“The cost-of-living crisis is not temporary,” Independents for Canberra leader Thomas Emerson said. “Structural problems have created a growing gap between the haves and have-nots in our city. Intergenerational inequality has young Canberrans staring down the barrel of a future they can’t afford. Band-aids like these are good vote-winners, but what our community really wants is a government that’s willing to tackle disadvantage and commit to building a fairer Canberra.

“It’s time to start living up to the promise of egalitarianism. That’s what Independents for Canberra stands for, and it’s what Labor used to stand for.”

Canberra Liberals: More funding for Kidsafe ACT

The Canberra Liberals would increase funding to Kidsafe ACT, a charity dedicated to preventing injuries to children, by $440,000.

Kidsafe was one of several organisations to share $1.65 million additional funding from the ACT Government earlier this year.

However, Leanne Castley MLA, deputy opposition leader and shadow minister for families, youth, and community services, said the government has largely ignored the charity’s calls for a much-needed funding increase.

Opposition leader Elizabeth Lee said organisations that keep children safe need certainty they can keep providing service.

“Like many of our community sector organisations, funding from the government [for Kidsafe ACT] has not kept up with demand or the increasing costs of wages, insurances and other costs,” Ms Lee said.

“Kidsafe ACT is at a critical juncture and without additional support, it could be forced to reduce its much-needed services or worse, close completely.”

Ms Castley said the additional funding would both support Kidsafe ACT’s work and allow them to increase their services, including more free car seat safety checks for Canberrans in need, extending opening hours, more pop-up consultations across Canberra, and workshops and education on car seat safety for charities that transport children.

“This is an absolutely momentous day for Canberran families and children,” Kidsafe ACT CEO Francis Ventura said. “It provides two things: the increase in funding and the increased longevity of that funding means that we can go out and do the things that will actually keep kids safe.”

Currently, funding is not sufficient to cover basic operating costs and staff hiring, Mr Ventura said; Kidsafe has had to cut back on free pop-up sites and education programs. The funding would allow them to host pop-up sites and work with multicultural communities, maintain operating costs, and develop new programs.

Independents for Canberra fully supported additional funding for Kidsafe, leader Thomas Emerson said.

“It’s shocking that they’ve had to fight so hard to receive sufficient funding to provide the crucial services upon which so many Canberran families depend.”

However, Independents for Canberra wants a 30 per cent funding increase across the community sector, to account for the 14-year funding gap caused by contracts not being indexed to population growth, rather than commitments to just one or two organisations.

“Kidsafe ACT is one of many local organisations that are at the brink of collapse,” Mr Emerson said. “We’re hearing that 96 per cent of the sector is unable to meet current levels of demand, and only 10 per cent have funding sufficient to deliver the services they’re already committed to providing…

“Wouldn’t it be great if the majors announced their commitment to tackling disadvantage in our city with the same level of ambition we see when it comes to announcing new infrastructure commitments?”

A spokesperson said the ACT Greens have a detailed plan to better support the whole community sector: they will provide funding certainty for all organisations and ensure they can keep up with growing demand by increasing funding to match CPI and population growth.

ACT Greens: Birth centre

The ACT Greens have pledged to build Canberra’s first freestanding, midwife-led birth centre.

The centre would be co-designed and separate from any hospital, offering a home-like environment for women who prefer not to give birth in hospitals.

“The ACT Greens want all women and pregnant people to have the ability to choose the type of care and place of birth that is right for them,” Jo Clay MLA said. “But currently our two hospital-based birth centres have hundreds on the waitlist.

“In traditional hospital-based models of care, people will see many different care providers throughout their journey which can be exhausting, isolating and possibly lead to a more negative birth experience.

“Some women and birthing people will want to choose to birth in a hospital, and that’s great, but for those who want to birth in a home-like environment with a known midwife, Canberrans simply need more choice.”

The Greens would expand access to midwife-led continuity of care and support midwives to work to their full capacity, improving job satisfaction and addressing workforce shortages.

Molonglo Valley

The National Capital Plan has been amended to reclassify the Molonglo Valley as Canberra’s sixth town centre.

Molonglo is expected to be one of Canberra’s biggest districts, with a population of 70,000-plus by 2050. The ACT Government announced in February that it sought to reclassify the Molonglo Group Centre (large mall) as a regional hub, building on a 2020 election promise, and the National Capital Authority began public consultations on the proposed amendment in May.

Kristy McBain MP, minister for territories, said: “The amendment paves the way for future development in this region, from commercial to community facilities – ensuring that as the Molonglo community grows, infrastructure and services keep pace.”

ACT Labor’s plan for Molonglo Valley includes a new town centre, police station, emergency services station, library and community centre, school and college, and more housing.

Canberra Liberals MLA Ed Cocks called last year for a Molonglo Town Centre.

“After leading the community campaign for the Molonglo Town Centre, knocking on doors across Molonglo, and fighting for the infrastructure our community needs, I’m thrilled the federal Government has come on board with this announcement,” Mr Cocks said.

“But we need more than a change in the Territory Plan. Labor has failed the Molonglo Valley for too long, left without shops for years, community infrastructure delayed and undelivered, and the roads choked by Canberra’s worst traffic problems.”

Mr Cocks launched a community campaign this year to address traffic congestion.

“The Canberra Liberals will keep fighting to deliver the infrastructure and services Molonglo Valley needs and deserves,” Mr Cocks said.