The Canberra Liberals will promise to spend more on events and advertising to attract tourists to Canberra, while also making cuts to business taxes.
The opposition will commit to bringing the Supercars Championship back to the ACT for the first time in more than two decades, establishing a $1.5 million events attraction fund and continuing with the Canberra Theatre redevelopment.
Opposition Leader Elizabeth Lee will make the commitments at the Liberals' campaign launch on Saturday.
The Liberals would spend $5 million to improve and establish outdoor tourism facilities in national parks and increase the territory's tourism marketing budget by $4 million over four years.
But the party would cut payroll taxes - the largest own-source revenue stream in the territory - for wages up to $5 million, with the tax rate to fall from 6.85 per cent to 5.45 per cent.
Payroll tax was budgeted to make up more than 31 per cent of the territory's own source revenue in the 2024-25 budget. The party has already promised to slow the growth of general rates, the second-largest own-source revenue stream.
The Liberals have also promised to cap commercial rates growth at 2.2 per cent - the long-term growth in the wage price index - for the next term of government.
Ms Lee said annual commercial rates had increased by an average of 8 per cent per year since the ACT government commenced a 20-year tax system overhaul to phase out stamp duty.
"These increases, together with the highest rate of payroll tax in the country are a significant imposition on businesses who have continually told us that high costs to run a business in the ACT and red tape are limiting their ability to grow and succeed in Canberra," Ms Lee said.
The Liberals said they would scrap the city centre marketing improvement levy, which is paid by commercial property owners in the city and parts of Braddon to support "fund events, promote activities, capital improvements and provide cleaning and security services". The levy was expected to collect $2.5 million in 2023-24.
The opposition would instead introduce a new "deregulation framework", a grants scheme to support buying products from local businesses and a business continuity guarantee to "support businesses which are impacted by avoidable delayed public works programs".
Deputy Opposition Leader Leanne Castley, the Liberals' spokeswoman on business, said the party would also cut liquor licence fees for venues with a capacity of 350 or fewer patrons by 80 per cent, offer subsidies for artists' booking fees and allow small shops, such as book shops and boutiques, to service alcohol and host small events.
"A Canberra Liberals government will work with our local businesses to make it easier for them to do, what they do best," Ms Castley said.
Ms Lee said the ACT had been deprived of ambition or development of cultural and entertainment infrastructure.
"A Canberra Liberals government wants to see events come to the ACT, whether it is Supercars, theatre, business events or international artists, or sporting matches," she said.
Chief MInister Andrew Barr in July 2023 confirmed he had decided not to proceed with a proposal to bring a Supercars race to Canberra.
But Labor has committed to building a new 2000-seat theatre in the city; a construction contractor is expected to be appointed this year.
The current government is also working on plans for a large indoor entertainment pavilion in the city, which could attract larger touring music acts to the capital.
The Liberals also restated a commitment to begin construction of a new stadium at West Basin on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin within the next term of government, a move ACT Labor is unlikely to be possible.
