Page 2109 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 5 June 2019
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As we project forward, the budget is forecasting economic growth to be at around 3.3 per cent over the next four years, which consolidates our recent rapid growth. Ongoing population growth, a strong pipeline of both public and private sector investment and continued demand for our territory’s education and tourism exports are all anticipated to continue making a positive contribution to the territory’s economy.
MR PETTERSSON: Chief Minister, what is the ACT government’s fiscal strategy and how does the 2019-20 ACT budget deliver on this?
MR BARR: There are three core objectives of the strategy: to strengthen the local economy, with a particular focus on the creation of good jobs and the continued delivery of high quality services; to invest in infrastructure projects and assets that generate economic growth and projects that protect Canberra’s livability as our city grows; and to maintain a strong operating balance over the medium term.
Over the last three years we have seen a cumulative surplus of around $100 million. Over the coming four years we are projecting a cumulative surplus of around $400 million—a cumulative surplus of around $500 million over the six-year period of last year, the current fiscal year and the next four. The application of our fiscal strategy in this year’s budget will see us make a further significant investment in health care, in education, in transport and in community infrastructure. This will be funded through small deficits in the near term which are more than offset by the surpluses delivered in the last two years and those projected over the forward estimates period. We are delivering today and we are building for a strong Canberra into the 2020s.
Public housing—relocations
MISS C BURCH: My question is to the Minister for Housing and Suburban Development. Minister, I refer again to the public housing complex matter raised in previous questions. Minister, what will be done with the vacant dwellings arising from these relocations?
MS BERRY: We are not closing down this public housing dwelling. We will assess the situation that is occurring. It is being investigated. Some of the issues are being investigated by the police at the moment. Once all of these issues are resolved, Housing ACT will make assessments about their properties and whether they are appropriate to be tenanted by other tenants.
MISS C BURCH: Minister, will these dwellings be reallocated to public housing residents from other locations or to some of the 2,000-odd people on the public housing waiting list?
MS BERRY: It could be a combination of both. That will be a decision for Housing ACT through the processes that it takes in allocating housing to people who have applied for it. It starts at the priority list. Priorities are also placed around different individuals on the list. I have provided information to Mr Parton in the past on how
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