Treasurer's message

2016-17 ACT Budget - For Canberra

The 2016-17 ACT Budget is a budget for an even better Canberra.

Canberra is a great place to live, work, study and raise a family. We are the world’s most liveable city.  We have world-class health and education systems, a thriving and dynamic business sector, and we care for those in need.

This budget – like those before it – delivers more services today and in coming years, and builds on our plan to secure a better future for Canberra.

It does this by balancing the books. This is thanks to careful spending and sensible policies to support our economy. When our largest employer, the Commonwealth Government, cut jobs, we used the ACT Budget to stimulate the economy. Our economy has weathered the storm. Now exports are up to all time    highs and unemployment is down – the lowest rate in Australia.

This strong economy means revenues are also up, which has put us on a clear and credible budget path. We’ve put the budget in a $500 million better position.

This budget builds on everything that is great about Canberra – all the advantages our city has – to create an even stronger, more prosperous, fairer and more liveable city.

That’s why this Budget continues to put the health and jobs of Canberrans first.

That’s why this budget funds more nurses, more doctors and more teachers, more municipal services, more roads and road upgrades, more public transport and more support for vulnerable Canberrans. That’s why this budget includes an unprecedented investment in safer families, with the biggest    family violence package in the territory’s history.

While delivering these services today we are creating an even better future.

We are returning to a balanced budget not by slashing jobs and services – but by creating confidence in our economy and supporting growth.

We are listening to Canberrans and delivering the services they want to make their life better and easier, whether it’s improved schools, better transport, a green bin for your garden waste or more jobs.

We are continuing to focus on our business sector – helping local firms to grow, innovate and create jobs, and by encouraging investment in our economy and diversifying our economy by playing to our strengths in education and research.

We are continuing to make taxes fairer, simpler and more efficient. We’ve slashed stamp duty, we’ve cut payroll tax again and we’ve abolished insurance tax altogether.

We are creating a smart, digital city.  Canberra is a city where smart people want to live, where doing business is easy, government transactions are simple and red tape is minimal.

By funding the services and infrastructure Canberrans deserve and expect, by continuing to lay the foundations for the long-term growth of our economy, and by ensuring we have a happy and healthy community – we are delivering for Canberrans today and securing a better future for our city.