The ACT's ability to speed up large-scale infrastructure projects, such as a stadium and convention centre, will be affected by the federal government's willingness to make funding commitments to planning works, the Chief Minister says.
Andrew Barr said the territory would continue to pursue Commonwealth funding for planning works for a new convention centre under a national $150 million urban precinct planning fund.
Funding to plan for a new convention centre precinct had been on the territory's wishlist but no money for the project was included in the federal budget when it was released on Tuesday night.
The budget included $10 million for a Bruce precinct masterplan, which is set to include a stadium, housing development and other mixed-use facilities.
Asked whether the timing of ACT infrastructure projects would be affected by the federal budget, Mr Barr said the territory had released indicative ranges for years.
"The extent of being able to accelerate the project is somewhat impacted by the Commonwealth's willingness to be a partner with us. That's probably the difference the Commonwealth investment can make is to bring something forward," he said.
"But clearly we have constraints in terms of industry capacity as to how much infrastructure can be delivered in any given year."
Mr Barr also stressed the ACT had not been seeking capital works funding for a convention centre, music pavilion or stadium.
"But the in principle issue that I'm seeking to resolve with the Commonwealth is their willingness to be a partner with the ACT government in the development of the project," he said.
"And that really starts at the planning and precinct phase."
Mr Barr said the federal funding decisions would force the ACT government to consider its long-term spending priorities.
"The issue that we have to balance up is do you commit $100 million towards a project that isn't going to get Commonwealth funding and then leave you with then a further $900 million that you have to find off your own budget?" Mr Barr said.
"If the Commonwealth can commit early and we can get them in as a partner, 50-50 from the start, I think you've got a much better chance of getting them to commit to construction funding if they've been involved in the development in the project."
The Chief Minister also played down the impact of missing out on a waiver of Canberra's public housing debt, which the territory inherited with self government in 1989.
"The situation is slightly different now, in terms of the cost of that debt compared to market rates. It's now actually a more favourable interest rate than we could borrow from the market. ... It's less of a pressing issue than it was previously," he said.
Mr Barr said no single budget was going to solve every single issue in Australia.
"I think a number of areas were significantly advanced in the budget, but of course there's always more to do," he said.
Greens leader Shane Rattenbury said the budget was an extraordinary failure to tackle structural issues that faced Australia.
"I think it's a real betrayal of the hope that many people had that we would see meaningful efforts to make reform when it comes to big issues, like the housing crisis, we see in this country," Mr Rattenbury said.
Deputy Greens leader Rebecca Vassarotti, who is also the ACT's Housing Services Minister, said budget papers showed the ACT would have less money for housing and homelessness than this year.
"We're not in a roads crisis, but here in the ACT we're seeing more new funding going into road duplication than we are into addressing homelessness and housing," Ms Vassarotti said.
Opposition Leader Elizabeth Lee said the budget was not good for Canberrans, pointing to a lack of funding for a new stadium and the federal government's decision not to waive the ACT's housing debt.
"Despite how many times Andrew Barr crowed before the last federal election that Canberra would get a better deal under an Albanese federal Labor government, this budget has demonstrated very clearly not only Barr and his ACT Labor-Greens colleagues abandoned Canberrans, it is utterly clear that federal Labor does not care for Canberrans either," Ms Lee said.
