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ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr is aware this year's budget comes at a time of global economic uncertainty, when many Canberra households are feeling the pinch of rising interest rates and the increased costs of everyday essentials.
But he said, while much of that was outside his government's control, there were measures in the latest budget to help ease the fiscal burn, while reflecting the "priorities and aspirations" of a rapidly growing city.
We spoke to two households to see how they would fare under measures in the 2023-24 ACT budget.
Tess
Tess and her family feel like the bills just keep coming in.
"You know, the supermarket, the insurance for everything, it's medical costs, it's day care — it's across the board," she says.
Tess and her husband are both on public servant wages and say despite tightening the purse strings, it doesn't feel like enough is left over once their mortgage repayments are made.
"We've really, really reduced all the discretionary spending, we're still looking for ways we can reduce costs where we can," she says.
"I think we haven't really seen wages keep up with the cost of living.
"I do wonder how other people are doing it. I have friends that are in casual jobs and have small kids, I really do think it must be really tough."
Tess has three children, two of them very young, so she was looking forward to the upcoming federal government-implemented childcare subsidy — however, she says it now won't matter as her childcare centre has had to raise its fees anyway.
"That evaporated before we even got any reduction. So that was a bit of a shame for us."
In the ACT budget, the government is funding one day of free preschool per week for all three-year-olds as part of a $50 million investment in early childhood education.
It's something Tess is excited to take up.
"The devil is always in the detail but I think that could make a difference and I suppose we're looking for anything that can improve the cost across the board," she says.
Tess's daughter should be eligible for the free day of next year, as the program commences in January 2024.
Her children may also benefit in the future from the government's $230 million investment in schools and education facilities, including adding some classrooms and planning four new schools, especially in Gungahlin where the greatest risk of overcrowding exists.
Finally, as a home owner, Tess will still see her rates go up, but less harshly than they have in the past.
Household rates will rise 3.75 per cent on average (or an extra $114 over 12 months) — well below inflation and after a decade in which rates typically rose by 6 to 7 per cent a year.
Remus
Remus Douglas rents a townhouse in Canberra's north and works one day a week as a disability support worker.
Remus is currently on Job Seeker and waiting for disability support payments to arrive.
He says it's hard to find jobs that accommodate his disability.
"I'll probably be staying on Job Seeker as long as I can, but ultimately I'm looking for work that can accommodate my disabilities and the reduced hours that I'm able to work," he says.
"I want to work and I have the ability to work just not full time. And it's often hard to find jobs that are willing to accommodate that.
"In the last 12 months or so, my savings has gone down quite a lot and quite noticeably, I'm still able to pay rent and get groceries and get petrol, but I'm going to need to figure out something soon to just have more regular flow of income to be able to keep up with everything."
Remus says while he has his family in Canberra to fall back on, he wants independence.
"That's really important to me as someone with a disability, that I have that independence and I'm able to pay to live essentially."
The ACT budget includes an acknowledgement of the cost of living struggles of Canberrans — and the disproportionately higher energy bills that its residents face in cold winters and hot summers.
According to the budget papers, the existing utilities concession for pensioners and veterans who need help with their electricity, gas, water or sewerage bill will be expanded to include those holding a Commonwealth Healthcare Card.
The concession will also be increased by $50 to $800 for the financial year, "in response to the increased cost of living pressure on low-income households."
"Every little bit helps and I think $50 off utility bills is a great help, even if it's only a little bit," Remus says.
"But definitely more than just that would be helpful for a lot of people."
According to the budget, more than 80,000 Canberrans live with a disability, but there weren't any announcements for any new initiatives or disability support made today.
But the government is allocating $553,000 over two years to continue the roles of Disability Liaison Officers as part of the Disability Justice Strategy announced in the 2018-2019 budget, "to deliver additional assistance to people with disability who have experienced victimisation."