Page 3057 - Week 08 - Thursday, 15 August 2019
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born overseas. More than 26 per cent of Canberrans were born overseas, and one in four people speak a language other than English, with the most common languages being Mandarin, Vietnamese, Cantonese and Hindi.
Through this budget, the ACT government continues to fund the National Multicultural Festival, which will ensure that Canberra will continue to host a vibrant, community-focused event that celebrates our cultural diversity and strengthens social inclusion within our city.
This government’s ongoing commitment to supporting and strengthening our city’s multicultural community is shown through the continuation of the multicultural grants program, whereby $260,000 will be shared amongst dozens of local multicultural community organisations each year.
I am proud to represent the Gungahlin region, where 33 per cent of residents are from culturally diverse backgrounds. Through my work as a local member for Yerrabi, I have the privilege of engaging with our multicultural community through interactions with organisations including FINACT, the Telangana Association, IWIN and the Canberra Muslim Community at Gungahlin mosque.
Further to our commitment to supporting culturally and linguistically diverse Canberra, this government has joined the Welcoming Cities network, which reconfirms our commitment to including all Canberrans in social, cultural, economic and civil life.
I would like to highlight some of the important investments in the 2019-20 budget that support Canberrans living with a disability.
Under our agreement with the commonwealth government for the joint funding of the NDIS, the ACT government is committed to fully maintaining mainstream services so that people with a disability have the support they need. With over 6,800 Canberrans now accessing support under the NDIS, the ACT government continues to advocate for better conditions for individuals operating under the scheme while the Liberal government holds this portfolio. This budget continues to grow investment and support in mainstream and existing disability services. This will ensure that Canberrans who are not currently receiving an individual support package under the NDIS still get free access to the services they need. Through the 2019-20 budget, annual disability inclusion grants will continue to offer an opportunity for local community groups to access funds, encouraging the social inclusion of people living with a disability in the ACT.
This budget contains important investments in public housing for Canberrans. Everyone deserves the right to have a roof over their head, which is why this government is tackling the issue of housing affordability. As a government, we understand our responsibility to ensure that Canberrans have access to social housing assistance, whilst also supporting those currently experiencing homelessness. This year we will deliver around $21 million worth of funding towards our specialist homelessness services and community housing providers. This will see more low cost housing to low and moderate income earners who are unable to secure private rental
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