Budget 2024 is focused on delivering on Chief Minister Eva Lawler’s common sense plan to lower crime and get more Territorians into work.
Improving community safety is front and centre of the Budget, with a record breaking $561 million police budget for 2024-25. The Lawler Labor Government is investing an extra $570 million over five years in Police.
As part of the common sense plan to lower crime, the Lawler Labor Government will recruit an extra 200 police officers, upgrade infrastructure, employ 25 new emergency call-takers and CCTV operators and provide ongoing funding to the Territory Safety Division.
Budget 2024 includes $1.2 billion in funding for public order and safety, and $723 million in social protection to build safer and more resilient communities.
Budget 2024 will deliver cost of living support to Territorians, with the Lawler Labor Government increasing the community service obligation (CSO) for utilities – including the uniform electricity tariff CSO – by $55.2 million to $164.2 million.
Power in the Territory is heavily subsidised through the CSO. This investment in continuing the CSO subsidy to keep power prices low means an average household is saving $1200 and an average small business saving $2200, when compared with not investing in the CSO.
Budget 2024 includes increasing the value of the prepaid cards for Territory Seniors from $500 to $550, $8.2 million to continue delivering Back to School vouchers – which were increased by $50 to $200 – and $5.7 million to continue delivering the Sport Voucher Scheme.
The Lawler Labor Government’s unprecedented investment into education will start to flow into classrooms from early 2025, with the education budget for government schools increasing by $100 million to a record $890 million. With non-government schools and other education services included, the funding figure is $1.34 billion.
There is also $109.2 million to support vocational education and training and ensure the skill requirements of the Territory economy are met through training, workforce growth and skilled migration initiatives.
Budget 2024 includes a commitment of more than $4.4 billion in infrastructure investment across the Territory.
Some of the infrastructure projects being delivered by the Lawler Labor Government include $4 billion for the joint Territory and Commonwealth investment in remote housing, $209 million for Central Arnhem Road upgrades, $189.3 million for upgrades to the Outback Way corridor, $80.1 million for Tanami Road upgrades, $52.7 million for the Northern Territory Art Gallery, $50.4 million for infrastructure upgrades to reposition Jabiru as a tourism and regional services hub, $30.3 million to develop the Katherine Logistics and Agribusiness Hub, $17.2 million to enhance recreational fishing infrastructure and many more projects across the Territory.
The Territory economy is forecast to grow by 2.3% in 2024-25, supported by growth in public expenditure and a recovery in household consumption, as pressure on household budgets ease.
Public investment is expected to increase by 11.2% in 2024-25, following strong growth in previous years.
Public investment is forecast to average $2.3 billion per annum from 2023-24 to 2027-28 and provide significant support to the Territory economy and jobs with a steady supply of road infrastructure works, remote housing and defence projects.
There is a general government net operating balance deficit of $410 million in 2024-25, and surpluses every year over the forward estimates
Quotes attributable to Chief Minister and Treasurer, Eva Lawler:
“This is a common-sense budget, a budget that acknowledges our two highest priorities — keeping Territorians safe and getting Territorians working.”
“I’m working every day to deliver my common sense and comprehensive plans to lower crime and get the Territory working – and that’s why we are delivering record amounts to support police and fully fund our schools.”
Source: Northern Territory Government newsroom
