The scrapping of a controversial levy will leave some homeowners better off than last year, while others are set to see their gain swallowed up by rate hikes in the ACT's latest budget.
There were some unexpected winners in the government's budget handed down on Wednesday, June 10, as the numbers revealed a budget surplus would be delayed into the late 2020s.
The ACT government is set to deliver a larger deficit in 2026-27 than previously expected, with the headline net operating balance rising to a loss of $323.4 million.
First home buyers will no longer pay any stamp duty in the ACT, while anyone buying unit-titled property, such as an apartment or townhouse, will also be exempt from the charge from July 1, 2026. Pensioners, National Disability Insurance Scheme participants and anyone who has not owned property in the past five years will also no longer have to pay the duty.
The controversial health levy on residential and commercial landowners has been scrapped, after the ACT government received extra funding through a national health agreement.
As promised in the 2024 ACT election, the Labor government is steaming ahead with the construction of the Northside hospital, allocating a further $1.34 billion towards the project over seven years from next financial year. Main construction works are expected to begin in 2027-28.
Canberra Health Service is set to grow by the equivalent of 460 full-time staff over the next financial year with the insourcing of cleaning and food services, the implementation of the Acute Palliative Care Unit, as well as the continued transition of contractors to permanent staff. ACT Labor promised to recruit 800 extra healthcare workers at the 2024 territory election.
The budget provides a significant increase in funding for repairs and maintenance of the ACT's public housing properties, with $183.4 million in extra funding over four years, along with $15.8 million to progressively insource housing repair and maintenance services.
The government will delay the implementation of additional indexation on motor vehicle registration fees, which were announced in the 2025-26 budget, to support Canberrans during escalating fuel costs.
House owners in the inner south suburb of Forrest have been hit with the biggest rate increase of 13 per cent, as neighbouring suburbs Kingston, Deakin, Yarralumla and Griffith also record significant jumps in their rate bills, based on increasing land value.
The government will continue its mission to cut costs and slow spending, with a fund set up for directorates to offer voluntary redundancies to staff. The public service is being encouraged to reprioritise and drive workforce mobility. (However, some public servants putting their hand up for a golden handshake might see themselves as winners.)
The short-term rental accommodation levy, which was introduced in 2025 and is paid by booking service providers, is set to be increased from 5 per cent to 7.5 per cent, with a delayed start of July 1, 2027.
Petrol and diesel vehicle owners will have to pay increased motor vehicle duty tax rates from February 1, 2027, making it more expensive to buy a polluting vehicle.
The budget includes new fees for a range of construction licences and certificates, including a charge for sitting the Architectural Practice Examination, a new fee for certificates of occupancy and use and new costs to remove or amend builder licence conditions.
Teachers applying for or renewing their certification will pay up to 17 per cent more, budget papers showed, and a swathe of new fees have been introduced for accreditation programs and assessment of international qualifications.
