Minister Barr: 2017-18 ACT Budget - Better emergency and legal services for Canberra

The ACT Government is keeping the Canberra community safe by investing in better emergency and corrective services and a more transparent and accessible legal system.

Budget invests in a recruit college to train more firefighters for our community, better mental health support for emergency services personnel, new emergency services equipment and upgraded facilities for our fire and rescue service.

The 2017-18 Budget invests more than $11 million in better emergency services for the Canberra community.

We are also doing more to ensure our police officers have the right equipment to continue keeping the community safe by delivering on our commitment to equip front line officers with Tasers and investing in a maritime police operational facility.

The Budget will also invest more in our legal and corrections system. The Budget commits more funding for Community Legal Centres and Legal Aid and will increase the capacity of the Public Advocate’s Office to provide better support for vulnerable citizens, including children and young people.

More support for Police and better emergency services for Canberra

The ACT Government is investing more in frontline emergency services personnel, upgraded equipment and facilities to ensure that Canberrans are safe, including:

• $7.3 million for more frontline firefighters, including capital works to accommodate a second crew at Ainslie Fire & Rescue Station and a recruit college to deliver 16 new firefighters and work towards a 50:50 gender balance;
• $5.3 million for enhanced protective security measures for ACT Policing, including equipping frontline officers with Tasers;
• $2.9 million over two years to upgrade the backup ACT Emergency Services Agency Communications Centre and Non-Emergency Patient Transport facilities;
• $2.1 million to plan for the future of policing in the ACT by reviewing current operating models and infrastructure;
• $1.4 million to construct a water reticulation system to provide emergency fire fighting water to Tharwa Village;
• $1 million for mental health services for emergency services personnel and health and fitness subsidies for ACT Rural Fire Service volunteers; and
• Funding for the fit out of a new Maritime Facility for the ACT’s water police team.

Investing in a transparent and accessible legal system

An accessible, transparent and timely legal system is vital to ensure all Canberrans have access to the protections of the justice system. This Budget includes:

• $2.5 million over four years for Canberra Community Law, the Women’s Legal Centre and the Street Law intervention legal outreach service as well as support for the Environmental Defenders Office over two years;
• $1.2 million for the Legal Aid Commission to increase access to justice for Canberra’s most vulnerable;
• $631,000 to increase the capacity of the Public Advocate’s Office to better support children and young people; and
• $402,000 for the scoping and design of a drug and alcohol court, which will help address the root cause of crimes that are the result of drug and alcohol addiction.

Improving our criminal justice system

This Budget will support more rehabilitative opportunities and investment in our prison systems to help reduce crime in our community, including:

• $5.3 million over four years to continue support for the Extended ThroughCare Program, assisting the transition of offenders to the community and reducing recidivism;
• $3.1 million over four years in response to the Moss Review to establish an Inspectorate of Custodial Services to conduct independent reviews of the ACT corrections system and serious custodial incidents; and
• $2.5 million over four years to create prison employment opportunities for detainees at the Alexander Maconochie Centre through the operation of a bakery.

Related

Better emergency and legal services for Canberra (pdf 264 KB)