Page 284 - Week 01 - Thursday, 13 February 2020
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continue to progress the implementation of the future of education strategy by investing in a number of initiatives that support safer and more supportive school environments for all students, teachers and staff. The 2019-20 budget review also includes a grants program for ACT public school parent and community groups to foster increased parental engagement, building on their parental engagement officers.
The government will also invest $8.1 million over four years in new digital platforms to improve and expand online services. This will make it easier for our community to engage with the government’s online services as we continue to ensure that we can meet the service needs of the community.
Health and safety for working Canberrans will be strengthened by additional funding for WorkSafe ACT. Funding of $8.7 million over four years, including an additional $744,000 in the 2019-20 fiscal year, will enhance WorkSafe ACT’s ability to effectively respond to Canberra’s growing workforce, with the capacity to hire more inspectors, increase regulatory support staff, including data analysts and communications specialists, as well as financial, human resources, governance support and additional support for the already existing psychosocial health officer.
This appropriation also implements a number of initiatives to protect those in need. An additional two full-time staff for the public advocate and children and young people commissioner will see that the rights of those at risk of abuse and exploitation are protected. Child and Youth Protection Services will also be strengthened to help provide vulnerable and at-risk children and young people with the services they need.
Similar resourcing for the Public Trustee and Guardian will ensure that it is able to maintain its decision-making services, be they personal, health related or legal, to those who, for whatever reason, have been unable to establish an enduring power of attorney. This cohort includes some of the community’s most vulnerable people.
The government will provide $1.4 million to accelerate work on a licencing scheme for property developers and progress the building regulation reform program. Every Canberran deserves the right to buy a home knowing that it has been built to the standards they expect, and this initiative will bring greater rigour to the building industry.
We are also providing $2.1 million to fund the implementation of a charter of rights for victims of crime and providing additional support for victims of crime as well as $1.7 million in additional funding to continue family violence prevention initiatives. We are providing $4.9 million progressing the first action plan of the territory’s disability justice strategy, which forms the first branch of work in a 10-year plan, which aims to ensure that people with disability in the ACT have equal access to justice and support for the their right to equality before the law.
This bill is in line with the government’s focus on delivering high-quality essential services and infrastructure that the ACT community needs whilst planning for our future growth. We build our future by investing now. The supplementary budget papers provide further details of the impact of these additional appropriations as well
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