Chief Minister Andrew Barr will use his annual "state of the territory" address to outline his government's priorities leading into the 2024 election, declaring there will be a focus on building Canberra's future.
Mr Barr will say the ACT government will tackle four challenges of housing, skills, healthcare and climate action over the next two years.
"As the first two years since the 2020 election were defined by our fight to save Canberrans' health and jobs, so the next two will be defined by the government's focus on building Canberra's future," he will say.
"We will invest now so that Canberra continues to be one of the world's most liveable cities, as it grows.
"That means an ongoing focus on delivering health services; a drive to build more housing; training more people; and leading the nation to a zero-emissions future."
Mr Barr will tell an audience on Wednesday he expects the territory's population will reach 500,000 within six years.
"Over the past decade, our population has grown faster than any other state or territory," he will say.
"This population boom has been driven by younger people and has dramatically changed the demography of Canberra."
The purpose of Mr Barr's annual address is to outline his vision for Canberra's future to the territory's business community.
It is held by the Canberra Business Chamber.
The Chief Minister will use the address to spruik many of the government's existing policies.
He will highlight the government's build-to-rent agenda, which has an aim of adding 5000 additional rental properties to the territory.
Under the strategy the government is "aggressively pursuing institutional investments" in an attempt to attract up to 20 large-scale investors to hold properties and deliver long-term leases for tenants.
Mr Barr will also speak about the government's infrastructure plan, which is currently being updated.
He will say the first part of the plan is expected to be released early next year and will focus on arts, entertainment and sporting infrastructure.
"The updated plan will outline how the government will be delivering the projects - big and small - to support a city of more than half a million people," he will say.
"We will renew and enliven Civic and our town centres, from significant infrastructure projects to more immediate upgrades."
Mr Barr will say the government will fight to build skills and attract skilled migrants to the territory.
He will say the new Canberra Institute of Technology campus in Woden will contribute to this.
"In the ACT, we'll play our part and lend our hand to increase permanent migration, lengthen post-study working rights and push to increase tertiary places for areas of skill shortages," he will say.
"But we must also fight to build skills and attract skilled migrants here to the ACT.
It's why we're building a new CIT campus in Woden on the future light rail line."
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