A little over a year ago as the COVID-19 pandemic began governments around Australia, local, state and federal, enacted economic recovery programs to help our local communities.
The global pandemic required significant public health measures and, at the same time, put a strain on our community and our economy.
Here in Canberra the ACT Government rolled out a fast-tracked program of infrastructure upgrades across Canberra. These were smaller jobs like footpath upgrades and school maintenance works, which were ‘shovel ready’, but they meant people were able to stay in work throughout winter and spring of 2020.
Through this program hundreds of Canberrans remained employed during these tough months because of our decisive action.
Across Canberra, there have been upgrades to local schools, footpaths and cycleways, road safety improvements, and community facilities, along with maintenance at venues including the National Arboretum Canberra, Canberra Theatre Centre and National Convention Centre.
These projects kept more Canberrans working and provided an immediate benefit to the local community.
Local government organisations are major employers and have a responsibility to do what they can to help their community.
At the same time as the fast-tracked infrastructure program was rolled out, the ACT Government created the Jobs For Canberrans program – to provide opportunities for people in the casual or semi-skilled workforce who lost their jobs due to COVID-19 and were not supported through Commonwealth welfare programs.
More than 500 new jobs were created across the ACT Government – from taking phone calls for Access Canberra to planting trees across our city. This provided meaningful cashflow to hundreds of families, at a time when they really needed support, and the community benefited from expanded services.
Importantly, many of these jobs went to people who were not eligible for the Federal Government’s JobKeeper
or JobSeeker assistance.
It meant that 500 families could continue contributing to their community and earning a wage when times were tough, and the program gave 500 people cause for hope.
When the Great Depression hit Canberra in the 1930s, Canberra’s first pool was built to keep locals in work. Known today as Manuka Pool, it has just celebrated its 90th birthday and remains one of Canberra’s most iconic and well-loved heritage buildings. These types of projects improve the amenity for the places we live, work and play.
The past year has proven just how effective and agile Government at all levels can be, not just in our health response but also our economic response.
The next phase in Canberra’s recovery is to create similar projects; infrastructure that lasts for generations, while keeping Canberrans employed right when they need it.
