No. 6

CAMPAIGN TO HELP DETERMINE ACCURATE ACT POPULATION

Chief Minister and Treasurer Jon Stanhope today announced $240,000 over two years in the 2007‑08 Budget for a major marketing campaign aimed at convincing people who have moved to the national capital to change their Medicare registered address.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics uses Medicare registrations to help determine the ACT’s official population and the Territory receives its GST revenue allocation based on the population figures provided by Medicare.

“In recent years, despite the creation of whole new suburbs and unprecedented home building activity, we have seen very little growth in official population figures,” Mr Stanhope said.

“Because of the transient nature of our population there are possibly thousands of people who are currently living in the ACT who have their official Medicare addresses elsewhere.

“As such, it is likely the Territory is missing out on a significant amount, potentially millions of dollars of Commonwealth funding. In addition, it is difficult to plan for the future of our city without the most accurate information possible in terms of our population.”

Results of independent research conducted earlier this year show that 30 per cent of people surveyed who had moved to Canberra within the last five years still had not updated their residential address with Medicare. Advance planning for the high-profile marketing campaign is underway and will include press, radio and television advertisements.

“Service One Members Banking is partnering with the ACT Government for the campaign which will be launched in August. This is another example of Government and the business sector working closely to achieve common goals. I would like to thank Service One Members Banking for their generous support.”

Mr Stanhope said the hard decisions taken in last year’s Budget are helping to keep the ACT’s books in the black and provide the funds required to invest in this campaign which could see the amount of Commonwealth funding to the ACT increase.

“I encourage all Canberra residents to check and if needed change their Medicare address. Not only can you help to ensure the Territory has more funds to provide services, but those who change their address during the August campaign will be eligible to win prizes,” Mr Stanhope said.