The ACT Government welcomes the wide range of initiatives in the 2025-26 Commonwealth Budget that will benefit Canberrans and our city.
Continued cost of living relief for all Canberrans
The ACT Government welcomes new relief for Canberrans who need it most, with tax cuts across the board including a further exemption for low-income earners with increases to the Medicare levy low-income thresholds.
We also know that Canberra households have faced significantly rising costs over the past two years, which thankfully have started to moderate. The $150 Energy Bill Relief for every household in the ACT will provide much needed relief for nearly two hundred thousand Canberra households as well as small businesses.
Across the five jurisdictions in the National Electricity Market, the ACT is expected to have the lowest standing offers in 2025-26 – the future is renewable.
Additionally, the Commonwealth Government's largest investment in Medicare since its inception will help take some of the pressure off our hospital system and continue to ensure Canberrans get the care they need when they need it.
Canberrans deserve to be able to access bulk-billed GPs and appropriately funding primary care is critical to address the complexities of demand in our health system.
Funding for an additional urgent care clinic in Woden is delivered through the budget, as is a boost to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme that will benefit all Canberrans.
Canberrans are more likely than any other Australians to have a tertiary qualification and so will disproportionately benefit from further reductions in HECS-HELP debts; we want more Canberrans to attain tertiary qualifications for the jobs of the future and for more Australians to choose our great universities as their preferred place of study.
Housing
The ACT Government remains committed to delivering on the targets set out in the National Housing Accord and we are working to deliver above our per capita share of the national target of 1.2 million homes. We know that increasing housing supply will improve housing affordability, access and choice for Canberrans.
The ACT Government welcomes the increased income and property price caps under the Government's Help to Buy scheme which will support more Canberrans to enter the housing market with lower deposits and smaller mortgages. Purchase of homes of up to $1 million in Canberra will now be supported under the scheme, up from $750,000.
The ACT's apprentices in residential construction will benefit from $10,000 in cost of living completion payments, which will support the construction industry to build more homes.
National Capital Investment Framework
The ACT Government welcomes this additional investment into major transport infrastructure across our city.
We will continue to work in partnership with the Commonwealth Government to deliver projects that create local jobs and strengthen our economy.
This pipeline of investment supports our broader strategic objectives for transport planning including unlocking land for more housing, new public transport routes and improving connections with our surrounding region.
The Budget commits another $53.5 million as part of the 2025-26 to support the next stage of growth and ensure projects across the territory can actually be delivered. This includes:
- $30 million to complete the Monaro Highway Upgrade
- $20 million to complete for the Monaro Highway Upgrade Stage 2 Upgrades
- $3.5 million to complete the duplication of Gundaroo Drive
The Budget also provides a $30 million boost over five years for the ACT under the Roads to Recovery program, which will go directly to maintaining the ACT's existing road network. This includes $8.6 million for resurfacing the Kings Highway near Kowen.
Under the previous Commonwealth Government, Commonwealth infrastructure investment for Canberra lagged behind the rest of the country.
Public Service
A strong Australian Public Service is crucial to Canberra's economy and local businesses. The ACT Government welcomes the continued strong support for the Public Service by the Commonwealth Government which has supported continued low unemployment and strong wage growth across the broader economy.
Over this term of government, the Commonwealth Government has supported this growth in the APS across every part of our city. The ACT Government welcomes the continued investment in the National Security Office Precinct which started construction earlier this year.
An alternative approach of severe and prolonged cuts to the Australian Public Service would be an attack on Canberra's economy and local businesses.
National Broadband Network
The ACT will be the largest proportionate beneficiary from a $3 billion investment the National Broadband Network. This investment will see 100,000 more Canberrans connected with faster and more reliable internet by upgrading remaining fibre-to-the node (FTTN) network.
