Page 3725 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 23 October 2013
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want to continue to work. They all go to matters that the ACT community find incredibly important. One of those, yesterday, was marriage equality. We might differ across the chamber about whether that was an important matter for members of our community. We argue it was and it was delivering on an election commitment.
We have, in the first year of our government, focused on four key areas to target our limited resources and efforts into progressing a growth agenda across this city. These are: creating opportunity and a more liveable city; growing a stronger and more diverse economy; being a healthier and smarter community; and focusing on urban renewal as the city grows. We are doing this in various ways. One of them is to continue on with the process of tax reform. We will continue on with the implementation of the business development strategy. We will work with the tourism sector to support the work that they do. We will focus on recruiting more police and firefighters, some of whom are in New South Wales as we speak. My thoughts go to them and their New South Wales colleagues as they protect the community from terrible fires which are threatening so many.
There is support for sport and recreation, with commitments that we have made to various sporting programs and facilities. We are making sure that our local shops look good and that there are new drinking fountains. We are looking at our skate parks, barbecue replacement, walking and cycling infrastructure and irrigation of park areas. We are looking at targeting our first home owners grant, our homebuyers concession scheme, and changing land rent—again to focus on making the purchase of a home, the dream of many, within the reach of more. The city plan which I released earlier this week again sets the direction for the discussion about how the city centre develops over time.
These are important commitments that we have made to the ACT community, and it is right that we reflect and report on them. They also demonstrate our commitment to fairness and opportunity, to giving those who suffer disadvantage a helping hand, even when our budget is in a very tight circumstance. These are the type of projects which are making, and will make, direct improvements in the lives of many Canberra residents.
There is funding for programs that make Canberra more safe and secure, for workplace safety, rewards for safe drivers and flexible arrangements to manage motor vehicle infringement notices for Canberrans in financial hardship. There is more support for corrections staff and community legal hubs. In public transport, we are looking at fare discounts and extended off-peak periods, interchange and bus stop upgrades, real-time passenger information, bike-and-ride and park-and-ride facilities and the MyWay system. Really, when you look at how systems like that have been introduced in other public transport systems, it has gone so smoothly. Having CCTV in buses has again protected bus drivers and, I think, provided passengers with more security around using ACTION bus services.
We are continuing to invest in services that support vulnerable Canberrans, including more than $7 million for disability support and services, more than $8 million for programs to address housing and homelessness issues, more than $11 million for services for vulnerable families and $1.3 million in new funding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander programs.
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