Minister Barr: Budget: Building a safer community

The 2016-17 Budget does more to protect Canberra families and their homes.

The Budget contains an additional $32.5 million of funding in police and emergency services in the ACT for 2016-17, taking our total investment to $302 million.

Improved emergency services for Canberra

$9.3 million in new funding will be spent on frontline emergency service support.

This includes:

• $2.8 million over two years to build a new ACT State Emergency Service station in Calwell;
• $2.6 million over four years to operate a new helicopter for SouthCare aeromedical retrieval services and upgrades for the hangar;
• $2.5 million over four years to increase capacity of the Emergency 000 centre and non-emergency patient transport;
• $922,000 to upgrade the ACT Fire & Rescue Fyshwick station and the ACT Rural Fire Service Guises Creek station as part of the Women in Emergency Services Strategy; and
• $518,000 over four years to upgrade the Emergency Services Agency website to continue to provide information, advice and warnings to the community during emergencies as well as fund the Emergency Alert system.

Supporting Canberra’s police officers

This Budget invests $3.1 million over four years to support ACT Policing’s operations.

• $3.1 million over four years to provide improved security measures, including improved personal protective equipment and employing additional Protective Services Officers.

Keeping Canberra’s streets safe

The ACT Budget makes an investment of $7.1 million to go towards ensuring Canberrans are safe on the road and in the community.

The initiatives include:

• $ 4.4 million over four years to streamline and speed up the processing and review of traffic camera infringements through the new Traffic Camera Adjudication System;
• $2.3 million over four years to expand the mobile camera program with two additional cameras/vans and four additional camera operators to ensure road safety; and
• $376,000 to undertake upgrades of the public safety CCTV across the city.

Strengthening correctional capability

The ACT Government will invest $13 million in ACT Corrective Services (ACTCS) over the next four years to improve the Territory’s capability for managing and rehabilitating offenders.

This includes:

• $3.6 million over four years to implement an offender management system for ACTCS;
• $3.1 million over two years to replace the existing ACTCS analogue radio system with a digital radio network connecting with the Territory Radio Network;
• $1.3 million to undertake vital upgrades at the Alexander Maconochie Centre;
• $1.1 million to continue the Extended Throughcare Program, which assists an offender’s transition back into the community and reduces rates of recidivism; and
• $1.1 million over four years to provide employment opportunities for detainees through the expansion of laundry operations at the Alexander Maconochie Centre

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