Page 2338 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 5 June 2013
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$133 million in the 2012-13 fiscal year. So this is a significant cost of living assistance for people on low incomes to ease their cost of living pressures.
The 2012 targeted assistance strategy was aimed at those people and those households who sit above the concessions safety net and who are not receiving government income support but certainly are at risk of financial shock. These families are more likely to experience financial stress but are less likely to seek assistance from community or welfare organisations. So the focus of this strategy is on how to ease household pressures and reduce the shock of a big bill hitting the family budget. The strategy provides a total of 34 recommendations on how government, business and community groups can, in the short, medium and long term, better target assistance to Canberrans in need. And the territory government continues the work across all of its directorates to advance the recommendations of this strategy.
One outcome of the strategy was the establishment of a single website, the ACT government assistance website, assistance.act.gov.au, that was launched in 2013. The website provides a single portal for all government and community assistance. It has been promoted by government and by community sector partners and has received a very positive feedback from the community. I am pleased to advise there were over 76,000 visits in its first year. Other initiatives have included targeted energy efficiency schemes, building financial capacity through the flexible payment of fees and fines and better access to public dental schemes.
Eligibility for concessions is based on income and asset tests determined by the commonwealth government. People eligible for concessions are generally holders of commonwealth health or pension cards. There are also, though, a number of age-related concessions through the seniors card which qualify a holder for public transport and motor vehicle registration concessions. Concessions are predominantly targeted, quite rightly, to low income earners, young people, people with a disability, concession card holders and seniors.
In the 2013-14 budget the government will provide a significant range of concessions to households, most notably in the areas of general rates, the fire and emergency services levy, drivers licence and motor vehicle registration fees, public transport fares and utility charges. Concessions are also available for some eligible individuals for spectacles, the energy costs of life support equipment, taxi—
At 6 pm, in accordance with standing order 34, the debate was interrupted. The motion for the adjournment of the Assembly having been put and negatived, the debate was resumed.
MR BARR: As I was saying, concessions are available for some individuals for spectacles, the energy costs of life support equipment, the taxi subsidy scheme, energy and water efficiency programs and e-waste. For those interested, information on available concessions can be found on the ACT government’s assistance website or by phoning Canberra Connect. A range of commonwealth concessions and assistance programs are also available to offset eligible households’ living costs, but we did not include those in our cost of living statement. They are, of course, available and real and are provided to tens of thousands of households across the ACT.
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