Families are hoping for more help with everyday living costs as the 2024/25 ACT budget is revealed.
On the streets, health, education, and cost-of-living relief were top of mind for many Canberra residents.
Canberran Matt Nightingale said he'd like to see more everyday support for families. He and his partner recently welcomed a new baby into their family.
"If there's anything in there that's going to help families make the week-to-week a bit more affordable and a bit easier, then that's going to help us for sure," he said.
"We haven't really had to do much [with childcare], but if the government's looking at things like that, that would be beneficial to us.
"We're pretty privileged here in Canberra, but any extra assistance in terms of energy policy would be good."
Little relief for household budgets
The territory government had promised the budget would do more for low-income households, with more funding for rent relief, concession transport cards, and hardship grants.
However with the rise in rates and public transport tickets, many households will be worse off.
Modelling from the ACT government shows the average Canberra household is expected to see their disposable income rise thanks to tax cuts, but the thicker paycheck will be cut into by higher prices for other amenities.
A single parent with two children in their own home in Banks will be paying more than $100 more in rates than 2023-24, and $130 more in utilities, according to the modelling.
For a single pensioner in a Belconnen unit, utilities are expected to go up to $5,549 from $5411, but the energy concession remains the same at $800.
And for a two parent household in Ainslie with two children, they'll lose about $660 of their disposable income increase to rate and utility increases.
Schools and performing arts a priority
For Shan Southwell and her daughter Ella from Melba, education and the arts topped the list.
"I think we need to focus on education, health and the quality of life in Canberra, where you don't always need to spend money to have fun," Shan said.
"More venues for big concerts would be helpful, [the new convention centre] would be good, as well as supporting performing arts."
Planning work for a new convention centre was set to be included in the budget, 10 years after the territory government first looked into a design and business case.
A record $2.6 billion has been allocated to health spending in the 2024/25 budget, an increase of about 13 per cent from the previous year.
Ella Southwell, age 17, said she'd like more musicians to come and perform in Canberra.
Her mum Shan said she's also like to see more funding for the environment in the budget to help preserve and protect green space in the territory.
Education is getting some love in the budget, with $24.9 million spend announced for numeracy and literacy programs. The announcement has attracted criticism from teachers and advocates as not being enough to fix the learning gap.
There'll also be one-off payments for apprentices and trainees, and extra money for Scouts ACT and Women's Health Matters.
Families' day-to-day largely unchanged
Kaylah and Michael Cook, with their baby Taylehm, said they'd like to see more support for childcare.
"More help with childcare, schooling for young kids and stuff like that would be good," he said.
Mr Cook said keeping the family afloat had been difficult as he was currently unable to work.
"At the moment we're currently saving, and trying to save [enough] to get a car. We've got to pay bills and all that stuff too though."
But for the Cook family in Chisholm, they're not expecting a massive change in their day-to-day life.
"I guess in a way [the budget] could affect us, like it could help with the electricity and all that stuff that they're doing with that $300 [in the federal budget]," he said.
"But it doesn't really affect us."
