Handing down his 13th budget as the ACT Chief Minister on Tuesday, Andrew Barr said the economy was slowing and many parts of the community were enduring living costs pain.

A range of “targeted” cost-of-living measures are included in the ACT’s final budget before an election in October, such as one-off $250 payments for apprentices and trainees.

However, the Canberra Liberals have declared the 2024/25 ACT Budget is “all spin, no relief”, saying it fails to address the significant cost of living pressures that Canberrans are enduring.

“Andrew Barr has spent over a decade increasing rates and taxes at a rapid rate to the point where many Canberrans are struggling to pay the bills,” Canberra Liberals Leader and Shadow Treasurer Elizabeth Lee said.

“Since embarking on his tax agenda, Canberrans’ rates have almost tripled and despite collecting more in taxes than ever before, Andrew Barr continually fails to deliver on the promises he makes to Canberrans.

“For the Treasurer to make grand announcements that this would be a cost-of-living budget and then to deliver little to no relief for the majority of Canberrans just goes to show this Labor-Greens Government is out touch and out of ideas.

“This is in stark contrast to the Canberra Liberals’ $65 million cost of living relief package that will provide real and tangible relief for all Canberrans, and I look forward to having more to say on further measures to ease the cost-of-living burden for all Canberrans later this week.”

Sour economic conditions, high infrastructure and labour costs, and cost-of-living support measures have led to a bigger-than-expected deficit of $830.8 million estimated for 2023/24, heftier than the $442.7 million forecast at the last budget.

Deficits are then expected to shrink in the following two years before public finances claw back into the black in 2026/27, when a $79.7 million surplus is predicted.

“Andrew Barr has not once delivered a surplus and based on the budget released today, he never will,” Ms Lee said.

“For all the spending and all the debt, Canberrans have every right to ask where the money has gone because it certainly has not gone on delivering infrastructure projects that have been promised year after year.

“Canberrans have the opportunity this October to make sure that Andrew Barr’s 13^th budget is his last budget.”

KEY BUDGET MEASURES

• ACT to continue its drug-checking service, an Australian first
• Affordable Housing Project Fund boosted from $60 million to $80 million
• Income threshold for Home Buyer Concession Scheme increases from $180,000 to $250,000
• Funding for a pilot community electrification program, providing grants for electrification upgrades to up to 350 eligible households
• One-off $250 payment to support local apprentices and trainees
• Electricity, water and gas rebate for low-income households upped from an annual rebate of $750 to $800
• Rebates of up to 50 per cent for pensioners on their general rate
• Value of vouchers available through the utilities hardship fund will be upped to a maximum of $300 per household
• $920 million over four years has been earmarked for new health spending, including works to complement the construction of the new North Canberra Hospital
• $100 million over four years has been earmarked for new education measures, including increased support to the Future of Education Fund which provides yearly one-off payments to low-income Canberra families
• For the first time, the budget included a wellbeing statement with six priority areas: housing; physical and mental health; women; early years; cost of living; and addressing marginalisation and disadvantage.

With AAP