ACTCOSS has confirmed in Estimates hearings yesterday that the cost-of-living crisis continues to hit Canberrans hard; confirming once again that Andrew Barr’s budget has failed to deliver any relief for thousands of Canberrans doing it tough.

Following questions from the Canberra Liberals, Devin Bowles, ACTCOSS CEO, confirmed that community groups are continuing to struggle to cope with the demand for their services.

“We continue to see an increased number of people accessing community services, including for emergency type aid and food aid, including people who are in paid work,” Mr Bowles said.

Worryingly, Mr Bowles confirmed that they are seeing more and more people accessing their services for the first time.

“So we're continuing to see a large number of people accessing services that they wouldn't have five years ago and wouldn't have imagined themselves accessing five years ago.”

This comes off the back of Andrew Barr’s high taxing budget which saw increases to taxes and charges across the board, including:

• Household rates up by between 4.5 and 9 per cent

• vehicle registration fees up by 4 per cent

• drivers licence fees up 4 per cent

• public transport fees up by 3 per cent

• road rescue fees up 4 per cent

• safer Families levy to increase from $50 to $70

• police, fire and Emergency services levy to increase from $375 to $396.

On top of that, the ACT has also seen recent hikes to:

• electricity charges which are up 12.75 per cent

• water charges going up by 7 per cent; and

• sewerage charges going up 7 per cent.

“What yesterday shows is that those community groups that are out there on the ground are seeing first-hand the impact that the cost-of-living crisis is having on Canberrans,” said Canberra Liberals Leader Elizabeth Lee.

“And instead of delivering much needed relief and support for Canberrans doing it tough, Andrew Barr is set to slug them even more taxes and charges; all because he has utterly failed to manage the budget over the past decade.

“In stark contrast, the Canberra Liberals’ $65 million Cost of Living policy will deliver real and immediate cost of living relief to all Canberrans, with a family of four at least $750 better off.

“The Canberra Liberals will also cap rate increases at 2.2 per cent in the next term of government which will ensure households will be paying, on average, almost $2000 less in rates compared to the Labor-Greens rates gouge,” Ms Lee concluded.