Canberrans looking for cost-of-living relief in ACT budget might be left wanting
Rach Ross says the Molonglo Juggernauts Football Club is in a "state of crisis". (ABC News: Monte Bovill)
On a chilly Canberra night, Molonglo Juggernauts football players have taken to the field for their weekly training session.
It's about six degrees Celsius, and inside the change rooms, a small heater is attempting to keep the room warm.
But the cold is the least of the football club's problems — rats and mice have taken hold in their club rooms, and several safety concerns have been identified at the aging facility in Stirling.
"We are in a state of crisis," club president Rach Ross said.
"What we have been doing is no longer sustainable."
She said costs for the club had gone "up and up" and they've received no help from the ACT government, which owns the facility.
"We won't be able to absorb those costs and those costs will have to go to the players," she said.
"It will see participation rates decrease and it could see a club completely crippled."
Canberran football coach Jess Ross says budgeting is a common topic among players. (ABC News: Monte Bovill)
And it's not only the club that's under pressure, but the players themselves.
Out on the field, the Juggernauts' women's coach and mother-of-four Jess Ross said she and others were being mindful of where they were spending their money.
"So many people were like 'got to go on a payment plan' and 'we got to work it into our budgets' and stuff like that," she said.
"In terms of a mortgagee or someone who rents, those expenses are going up, our electricity is going up, day to day expenses are going up."
If they were looking for relief in today's ACT budget, they might not have found what they were looking for.
Food, housing relief earmarked in budget
For the football club's oval itself, there is some money for the installation of lighting, but that is about it.
And when it comes to cost-of-living support for Canberrans doing it tough, there is some limited relief.
ACT Treasurer Chris Steel and Finance Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith released the annual budget papers on Wednesday. (ABC News: Stuart Carnegie)
The controversial $100 health levy from last year's budget has been removed, and a plan to make motor vehicle registration more expensive has been deferred.
In the lead-up to the budget, more money for food relief was announced, as well as a new Housing Crisis Support Fund to help low-income households experiencing rental stress.
But with a predicted budget deficit for 2026-27 of $323.4 million, which is $243.7 million worse than what was forecast earlier this year, the government has been careful not to over-commit.
Some fees and charges will be introduced and others increase following today's budget announcement. (ABC News: Sharon Gordon)
The budget papers also reveal a return to surplus has blown out by a year, now not expected until 2028-29.
"We've prioritised frontline services and supporting our community at a time when they really need it," Treasurer Chris Steel said.
"We have made that very clear; we are not going to prioritise a return to surplus over supporting our community."
Increasing fees, voluntary redundancies for public servants
The removal of the health levy will bring some relief to Canberrans' rates bill, but for an average household, they will still increase by 5 per cent.
And the ACT Public Service is not immune from the government's attempts to bring the budget back under control.
An unknown number of voluntary redundancies will be made available, with the measure forecast to save $6.4 million.
Public Service Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said she was confident those savings could be made with voluntary redundancies alone.
There are also increases to various fees and charges, including:
- Motor vehicle duty rates for non-electric vehicles increasing from February 2027 to incentivise the uptake of lower-emissions vehicles.
- The Safer Families Levy increasing by $10 this year and then by $5 each year for three years from 2027-28.
- The Police, Fire and Emergency Services levy increasing by 4.3 per cent above the wage price index in 2026-27.
- A full five-year driver licence will cost $270.70, up from $261.60.
- The Short-Term Rental Accommodation Levy, paid by booking service providers, is increasing from 5 per cent to 7.5 per cent from July 2027.
There is also an increase to the cost of an adult firearms licence fee, which will now cost $487.
A new and increased fee structure for the Public Trustee and Guardian service has been introduced, as well as new fees for teachers, including a $100 registration fee.
Investment in housing
Mr Steel said the government recognised households were "under pressure" but said the territory was in a "very uncertain economic climate" due to the war in the Middle East.
To ease pressure on the budget, the government has put the brakes on several infrastructure projects, in an effort to save $700 million over four years.
The government is looking to housing to try to relieve financial stress for ACT residents. (ABC News: Ian Cutmore)
Mr Steel said he wanted to ensure the community that no projects were being cut.
"We're not stepping away from the commitments we made,"he said.
"What we are doing is making sure the infrastructure program is sustainable and deliverable."
The budget's main features are around housing, with the treasurer describing it as the "largest investment in new housing since self-government".
The government said more people will be able to get into the housing market through the abolishing of stamp duty for all first home buyers, regardless of income or home value.
"It will support more Canberrans and younger generations of Canberrans to own a house of their own," Mr Steel said.
Another major component in the budget is the commitment of $1.34 billion over seven years to the new Northside Hospital in Bruce.