Shane Rattenbury MLA is the ACT Greens leader.
At the start of the Budget process, I wrote to the Chief Minister outlining the ACT Greens’ priorities. At the core of that is ensuring we’re clear on the purpose of Government – not only to grow the economy, but to deliver universal wellbeing and protection of climate and nature – not just now but going into the future too. And so you all know, this is what we asked:
Climate
The challenges posed by climate change must be continually addressed. We asked that this Budget be a climate budget, through the prioritisation of sustainable transport, and assistance provided to transition away from fossil fuel gas. The Greens will always challenge spending in areas which fail to engage with the climate crisis.
Housing
When I sat down with the Chief Minister in October 2020 – we agreed to write into the Parliamentary and Governing Agreement that a net gain of 400 public housing properties needed to be achieved by the end of this term of Government. The Greens use every opportunity to challenge delivery and ensure that it’s prioritised. The Budget was the last opportunity to stop selling public housing properties and the time to allocate additional funds to purchase stock. Meanwhile – we enjoy one of the highest median incomes in Australia, yet there are still homeless people in this city. This Budget needed to provide adequate resources to end homelessness in Canberra.
Active Travel
With transport accounting for two-thirds of all ACT emissions, taking action to boost walking and cycling will make a serious difference to the climate and to people’s health. Well maintained footpaths in every suburb is the foundation for this. Prioritising the full delivery of the proposed Canberra cycle network by 2030 would bring the benefits of a safe and separated cycle network to all of Canberra, fill in missing links, and make us a city that’s a joy to navigate by bike. We need investment in our bus fleet too, a fleet that must become fully electric as soon as possible. When I wrote to Mr Barr – I reiterated our support for expediting the delivery of Stages 2A and 2B of Light Rail to Woden. We’d like to go further south still and get Light Rail to Mawson as part of Stage 2B.
Health
Labor have rightly recognised the need to increase staffing and infrastructure in the Budget – this will help treat people who are unwell. But the growing inequality gap in our community means that too many Canberrans are unable to access or afford quality healthcare, particularly in primary care and consistent care for chronic conditions. We believe that we must accelerate our investment in prevention, early intervention, and community delivered healthcare – working with the federal Government to get the best outcomes for Canberrans.
Environment
We need also to prioritise efforts to protect and restore our natural environment – through better support for organisations and volunteers that are the cornerstone of environmental protection efforts in the ACT. Crucial to our ability to grow the city responsibility is achieving targets of 70 per cent infill in all development. This will protect Canberra’s natural environment and build a climate-friendly city with transport-oriented development.
And so I would observe this ACT Budget is about choices – and whilst there are some good aspects to this Budget, were the Greens writing this Budget, it would go further, faster and fairer.
Our vision is to end homelessness in the ACT, control rental costs, and build houses in the right place so we have a more compact, person-friendly city. That’s why we’ve already announced that we plan to build and buy 10,000 public homes over the next ten years, setting up a Government-owned developer to take on the challenge – rolling out homes faster. We want to invest in skills for local workers, ensuring that we provide opportunities for people looking to shape our city’s future. We get the scale of the challenge – there are over 3,000 households on the public housing waiting list – which is why we’ll use modular building techniques to make climate-ready, accessible homes which can be rolled-out faster.
We support the Treasurer’s continued aim to eradicate stamp duty and replace it with land tax. That will end high one-off moving costs, and help make our city more compact. But the announcement that stamp duty is being removed for most people buying properties up to $1 million will be cold comfort to many people in this city. What about the legions of people that are struggling to pay high rents and food prices making saving for a deposit impossible?
While one option is to keep expanding the city limits and build on greenfield land – our solution delivers more housing close to existing services. That is why I am today announcing, together with my Greens colleague Jo Clay, that we will seek to build up to 5,000 new homes at the current Thoroughbred Park horseracing track – creating a new inner north suburb.
Housing
Labor can’t and won’t do this because they keep giving public money to the horseracing industry – with Labor Treasurers handing over $100 million since 2011 in fact – which is why they struggle to see this solution, ideally located adjacent to Light Rail. We’re proposing that 10 per cent of that new housing is public, and another 10 per cent community-owned, with the rest available to rent or buy. We need more housing close to transport and services, so that people have access to all the things that make living in Canberra so good. Our nature, our community spaces, our excellent cafes, restaurants and bars. Providing more housing while staying within city limits – this is what the Greens will do for you in Government.
We have a plan for this space which will nourish thriving communities – shared green space will be available for kids to play in, away from roads, or for people to organise community events or barbecues. High quality footpaths and cycle paths will be prioritised, with access to Light Rail for trips to CIT in Woden, to Lake Burley Griffin, the shops or the cinema. In preparing the land for housing, we’re putting the environment first too. We’ll re-naturalise and clean up Sullivans Creek which runs along the edge of the racecourse, making it a refuge for plant, bird and animal life.
You might be wondering why we’re choosing this site. Thoroughbred Park’s membership is 1,002 people, while the public housing waiting list is over 3,000 people. The two numbers are hardly comparable – but it’s clear there is insufficient housing whilst another racetrack lies in next door in Queanbeyan. The conversation needs to start now on a transition plan for the ACT horseracing industry.
So what are the next steps? The ACT Government has formed a steering committee with the horse racing industry to look at one option only – the horse racing industry’s plan. Without any public consultation, this lacks transparency and is unlikely to put the public interest first.
The Greens have commissioned this plan to make sure Canberra has a genuine choice.
Rather than suppose that the racetrack needs to stay, we would negotiate the purchase of the land from Thoroughbred Park or move to acquire the land compulsorily on just terms. Many factors would be considered when negotiating this, including the value of the site as currently zoned and a transition plan for workers. A compulsory acquisition would assist the club in planning its future.
We will put our plan forward to the ACT Government and request that they consider our proposal as part of the committee process. We will demand that they genuinely consult with the Canberra community about what Canberra needs for this site.
Together, we can then decide what is in the public interest – a racetrack and luxury apartments, or an amazing new suburb with public and social housing, community services, nature and green spaces.
The people of Canberra deserve to decide, and we are today showing our hands – this is where the ACT Greens will deliver a different sort of Government.
Homelessness
Under a Greens homelessness minister, this Government has sustained record-high levels of funding for homelessness. In this Budget it is great to see funding for the PAGA commitment to deliver a Youth Foyer at CIT Woden, to address the critical issue of youth homelessness and provide young people a stable housing environment to build their lives. This Budget also shows the ACT Government paying attention to Oaks Estate, with funding provided to allow a critical community inclusion program to continue. We are glad to see specific funding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander homelessness services, where there is a growing demand. And the Treasurer has come behind the Greens campaign for a short-stay rental tax, which we hope over the longer term will bring more accommodation back to the market and make it available for Canberrans.
But unless we build and buy more public and affordable housing, there will always be a need for more homelessness funding. This need will only continue to grow as the housing crisis and cost-of-living pressures push more people into housing stress and homelessness. The only long-term, sustainable solution to ending homelessness is more homes.
Transport / compact city
The Labor part of this Government talk about making this city one that is a city of wellbeing, liveable and compact, but they’re spending your money on the wrong priorities – and their proclamation that this is a “Big Road Budget” shows their true colours.
The thing that is Proven is that if you build new roads, they’ll fill up and you’ll keep needing more, and the congestion will be as bad as ever. And what they’re signalling is that in building new roads we will be repeating the planning follies of rustbelt America – cities where crime and poverty are the norm and where people can’t walk anywhere for so much as a litre of milk. As we travel along roads far and wide across our city, we neglect the footpaths that take us to school or to our local shops. As we spend on new roads, we divert capacity from the construction sector that could instead be invested in extending the Light Rail network faster to Woden and Mawson or planning future stages to Belconnen.
The ACT Greens want Light Rail to be built as fast as possible, but we know that solutions need to come quicker, so that everyone in the city has access to reliable, frequent bus services. That is why we have announced our intention to invest in 100 new electric buses, which will improve the frequency of bus services to at least every 20 minutes.
Fiscal approach
While merrily building more roads, and supporting the horse racing industry, this Budget has not adequately lifted spending on public housing to meet the scale of the challenge or to move faster on Light Rail and active transport. Ensuring debt is used for investment rather than day to day expenditure is an important principle of fiscal responsibility. But let’s look at the facts. The Treasurer, using one set of accounting standards has shown us as having a debt to GSP ratio of 12.6 per cent – about the median for Australia, already one of the least indebted developed nations. But according to the Federal Government’s Financial Statistics Framework, who use updated accounting methods taking into account more assets, shows the ACT with the lowest net debt of any state or territory at 2.6 per cent of GSP. This fiscal health gives the ACT Government a lot of headroom to make smart investments in housing, active travel and public transport. These investments will make our city work better – and yes, more productive – further improving our long-term fiscal sustainability.
We Canberrans are proud to be different – we’re kind, we care about our neighbours, and we want to keep building it to be the beautiful place it is for future generations. But we are also relatively prosperous, with median household incomes 30 per cent higher than New South Wales. The only reason the Liberals keep saying we can’t afford things is because they want to cut Government services and infrastructure. So if we have the money to do this, let’s invest in line with our values – to transform our city for the better.
Health
We have seen significant progress in mental health services in Canberra, thanks to Greens in Government. My Greens colleague Emma Davidson has been able to announce long term funding for a second PACER team – which brings together services to assist people experiencing a mental health crisis. We know it works and is something from which other jurisdictions are looking to learn. And we’re continuing to invest in the Belconnen Safe Haven – providing a caring, non-clinical space for people to go who are experiencing severe emotional distress. We know that safe havens are highly valued by the people who use them and that they offer something different to what has historically been on offer. They represent smart, innovative investment in mental health support for people who are struggling. It is the Greens that brought that thinking to Canberra.
The Greens will always look to invest in primary care. That’s why we’re proposing setting up four new GP bulk-billing clinics, providing 160,000 free appointments annually and identifying preventative care that will ultimately reduce strain on the hospital system. Not only will making GP appointments free at the point of use provide relief on cost of living, but reduce barriers to access to healthcare.
Of course, if you do end up in hospital you should have excellent care in modern facilities – and I welcome further investment in those facilities in this Budget. But huge numbers of hospital visits could be avoided were earlier provision of health services available. What’s more, a hospital stay costs many factors more than the alternative of primary and preventative care – and so it is only right and rational to invest in that early care.
The ACT Greens have already announced that they will deliver a neurodiversity Centre to provide support for Canberrans who are neurodivergent. Right now, thousands of people who are neurodivergent are waiting months – if not years – to get a diagnosis and the support they need to live their lives to the fullest. The Greens Neurodiversity Centre will take a strengths-based approach – celebrating and supporting the amazing diversity of how our minds and bodies work. We will make sure neurodivergent Canberrans get the support they need, when they need it.
Revenue
It’s high time we got big business to contribute more to our services. Greens have been fighting nationally to take on the excessive power of the Coles and Woolworths duopoly, meaning that Australian shoppers have less choice and pay more for their groceries than in comparable countries. This shores up their share price – with the only true bargain available being for shareholders – who cash in on Coles and Woolworths taking shoppers for a ride. Our banks are recording record profits on the back of higher interest rates – all while renters and mortgage holders pay the price. That’s why it’s great to see this Budget announce big business paying a bit more in payroll tax, which will help put more money back into services for Canberrans.
And ACT Greens will look to ensure the ACT Government plays its part in delivering on the findings of the Greens-initiated Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s inquiry – for which the interim report is published on 31 August. If that breaks up the duopoly, and forces divestiture in favour of more competition, so be it.
Food strategy and environment
This Budget launches the first ever local food strategy for the ACT – led by my Greens colleague Rebecca Vassarotti, investing $455,000 to grow the ACT and Canberra region’s food production sector, understand local food supply chain infrastructure and promote education and training opportunities. This funding will help small and medium sized producers better compete with largescale producers. What’s more it will engage with Traditional Custodians to ensure that Ngunnawal knowledge and cultural practice are prioritised, including involvement in our local bush food and indigenous plant industry.
We are glad to increase funding for the environmental organisations and community groups that deliver critical land management and habitat restoration work, including tireless weeding and invasive species management. Funding will go to Landcare ACT and Canberra Nature Map, increased funding specifically for community weeding activities and to support a wildlife vet to care for injured native animals.
These are welcome and fundamental initiatives that we are funding, but we know that we are still facing an extinction crisis and that urban development, particular through the expansion of our urban footprint, is one of the greatest threats to our biodiversity. We need a step change in the way we plan our city – our environment is not something we can trade off for any outcome, and we categorically refuse to swallow the rhetoric that pits housing and the environment against each other. A Greens budget would have prioritised solutions to this challenge, including a fundamental shift in our offsets policy and creative thinking about how we deliver conservation outcomes in the ACT.
Additionally, we know that climate change is only going to make our city drier and hotter. We need to prepare our city for this, which is why the Greens support more tree planting, sooner.
Climate
As Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister, with the Chief Minister I last week announced the ACT’s Integrated Energy Plan. This sets out our plan to electrification –the cheapest pathway to net zero emissions with the greatest benefits. It will involve phasing out fossil fuel gas, while ensuring a just transition – targeting support to the lowest income Canberrans, as well as to apartment residents.
I am extremely proud of the ACT for its strong community support for climate action, and for our nation-leading commitments and achievements on climate change so far. That commitment meant that we were the first city in the southern hemisphere to source our electricity entirely from renewables by 2020.
I don’t take our climate leadership for granted. I know we have more to do – particularly in our transport sector, which contributes around two-thirds of all ACT emissions. We’re top of the league table in Australia for electric vehicle uptake – but I know that more of you would like to own EVs but worry about their upfront cost and the availability of charging facilities.
Conclusion
This Budget will help maintain our city and ensure that existing public services keep running. But we need our budgets to go further faster, to invest in ideas and ambition that will make our city liveable going into the future. The Greens have a vision – investing in 10,000 public homes, building up to 5,000 homes at Thoroughbred Park, delivering more preventative and community medicine, and speeding up the construction of cycle and footpaths and future Light Rail stages. Business as usual, tweaking around the edges, or in the case of the Liberal Party, actually taking us backwards, just won’t cut it in terms of the challenges we face our city. So if you’re ambitious for Canberra, and want it to be greener, healthier, fairer and more affordable – the ACT Greens have the answers.
