The Green Budget

MEDIA RELEASE

Peg Putt MHA

Greens Opposition Leader

Monday, 19 JUNE 2006

$20 MILLION SPEND ON PUBLIC HOUSING; $3 MILLION TO CREATE INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION

In 2006-07 Alternative State Budget’s $79.6 Million Clean, Green And Clever Development Fund

The Tasmanian Greens today launched their fourth Alternative State Budget, the centrepiece of which is a $79.6 million Clean, Green and Clever Development Fund to address areas neglected by the Lennon government in the Tasmanian State Budget, and which were also ignored in Government election promises.

Greens Opposition Leader and Shadow Treasury spokesperson Peg Putt MHA said the big ticket item was a $20 million allocation to build urgently needed public housing, a contrast to Labor’s abandonment of investment into new publicly-owned houses.

Ms Putt explained that the Greens’ Alternative State Budget 2006-07 covers points of difference with the State Budget, and is framed on Triple Bottom Line principles of incorporating social and environmental impacts into the bottom line along with the traditional economic focus.

In brief, the Greens’ 2006-07 Budget provides for:

The $79.6 million Clean, Green and Clever Development Fund, sourced from Revenue Raising and Savings initiatives, which funds the Greens expenditure priorities which differ from those of government. The Greens’ expenditure priorities are outlined under the categories of Economy, Community and Environment to illustrate the triple bottom line principle.

Economy: Transition to a Clean, Green and Clever Economy
The Greens’ Alternative State Budget 2006-07 identifies $12.875 million to be redirected into key areas to stimulate economic development, and instigate the transition to a clean, green and job-rich economy, away from the old style polluting and job-shedding industries.

Key priority areas include:

þ Employment and Economic Development – a $5.45 million investment in job creation and workplace safety.

þ Clean, Green Agriculture – over $1.5 million targeting high-end clean, green production, including organics, to supplement the SMART[1] farming initiative.

þ Tourism – regional tourism gets $1.7 million for signage, visitor centres, and to develop local attractions, and will also benefit from a big spend on staffing protected areas.

þ Public Transport and Road Safety – $4 million to bring down the road toll; install seat belts in school buses; develop light rail, other public transport and cycleways.

þ Forestry Transition – to make the transition to a modern, jobs-rich, non-conflictive forest industry, Community Forest Agreement funding is re-allocated.

COMMUNITY: Healthy, Compassionate, and Inclusive
The Greens’ Alternative State Budget 2006-07 does not forget the disadvantaged, while the Government has ignored some pressing priorities. An extra $42 million is directed towards social needs, housing, human services, and maintaining standards in public life.

Key funding priorities are:

þ Aboriginal Stolen Generation Compensation – $2 million commences this process in consultation with the Aboriginal community, and $1 million assists establish a New Risdon Cove Aboriginal Child Care Centre.

þ Public Housing – the largest allocation of the Greens’ budget is to build new publicly owned housing and move many battlers off waiting lists, plus nearly $2 million for safer, smarter homes.

þ Independent Commission Against Corruption – an initial $3 million to establish this watchdog to uphold standards in public life and maintain confidence in our institutions, politicians and police.

þ Healthy Communities – an injection of around $13 million to push preventative health care initiatives, and meet further needs in child protection, mental health, and disability services.

þ Kickstart a Greenfields Royal Hobart Hospital – $0.6 million for planning studies and public consultation over a greenfields development for the RHH.

þ Gambling Advocacy and Impacts – $1 million to establish a Gambling Consumers’ Advocate Office and to undertake an independent Social and Economic Impact Assessment of pokies in the community.

ENVIRONMENT: A Leader in Clean Water, Biodiversity, and Energy-Wise
The Greens will ensure that environmental protection is equally weighted with economic and social considerations, instead of being added as an afterthought. Investment in our environment underpins our economy and quality of life. The Greens’ Alternative State Budget 2006-07 will redirect an extra $24.725 million towards:

þ Parks and Reserves – $8.75 million to put more rangers and other staff into our National Parks, Marine Reserves, and to care for our coasts.

þ Clean Water and Freshwater Ecosystems – a $7.25 million investment in upgrading rural water and sewerage, protecting freshwater ecosystems, and comprehensive auditing of chemicals in catchments.

þ Biodiversity – $2.75 million to get serious about feral species (including extra for the Fox Taskforce), and to protect Tasmania’s threatened species.

þ Energy Efficiency and Climate Change – over $2 million for an Energy Savings Trust, promotion of renewable energy, and to put hybrid cars in the government fleet.

The Greens also outlined a cut to pokies in pubs and clubs and an ensuing drop of $2.6 million in pokies taxation.

Revenue raising measures which differ from government include higher resource rentals, and savings made on pulp mill facilitation, the Meander dam, the Lennon government PR machine, mining promotion, and Departmental electricity consumption will help fund other measures.

“The Greens’ Alternative State Budget picks up the crying need to build more affordable public housing which has been dropped by the Lennon government, and we show how $20 million could have been invested to get battlers off those long waiting lists and into their own home,” Ms Putt said.

“We move to uphold standards in public life with the creation of an Independent Commission Against Corruption, a need whose time has come in Tasmania, and which was an election promise.”

“The Aboriginal community have our continued commitment to support them in overcoming the legacy of past injustice, with a $2 million starter for compensation to the stolen generation plus the $1 million contribution needed from government for a Risdon Cove Aboriginal Child Care Centre.”

“There is a significant boost to the environment and tourism as we allocate funds to upgrade rural water and sewage, put more rangers into our protected areas, and protect our wonderful native species.”

“Although health got a big spend from government there is more to be done and so we provide for preventative health care, child protection, mental health and disability services.”

“Leadership from government on climate change and energy efficiency is lacking, but the Greens’ Alternative State Budget steps into the breach with an Energy Savings Trust.”

The Greens’ Triple Bottom Line Alternative Budget 2006-07 document and powerpoint presentation is available on their website at www.tas.greens.org.au

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[1] Sustainable Management of Agricultural Resources in Tasmania