Parra News May 21 2024

LOCAL NEWS
How Budget will affect you
Treasurer hands down “responsible Budget” highlighted by cost-of-living relief
ELLIE BUSBY
The Federal Government
promises its 2024 Budget
responds to the pressures
people are under now, but how
will it impact the residents of
Parramatta?
Last week Treasurer Jim Chalmers
handed down his third Federal
Budget, with easing the cost of living
and building more homes named
among its top priorities.
“This is a Budget for the here-andnow
and it’s a Budget for the decades
to come,” Chalmers said.
“It’s a responsible Budget that
helps people under pressure today
– and invests in the promise and
potential of the more prosperous
future we can make together.”
Central to the Budget is previously
announced changes to stage three
tax cuts, which were legislated in
February and will come into effect
on July 1.
Chalmers said it will give 84 per
cent of taxpayers, and 90 per cent
of women, a bigger tax cut than
they would have under the previous
Government.
According to Federal Member for
Treasurer Jim Chalmers, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Finance
Minister Katy Gallagher.
Parramatta Andrew Charlton, the
tax cuts will also be a boon to every
household in Parramatta, with the
average taxpayer set to receive a tax
cut of $1,512.
“This is a responsible Budget that
delivers cost of living relief to every
household in Parramatta, without
adding to inflation,” he said.
“I’m proud to be delivering real
cost of living relief to locals in
Parramatta in this Budget, while
investing in the future of our city.”
Charton also believes the $300
power bill rebate will help drive
down the rising costs of electricity
from July 1 for residents in
Parramatta.
The Government has also promised
students will be supported,
courtesy of changes to the way
HELP debt is indexed, capping it
at the lower of the Consumer Price
Index or Wage Price Index.
Andrew Charlton said the Budget
will deliver cost-of-living relief.
The changes mean 23,000 local
students can expect to receive a cut
in their student debt of $1,200 on
average.
Pensioners and concession
cardholders will receive a five-year
freeze on the cost of their medicines
under the Pharmaceutical Benefits
Scheme (PBS), which will see medicines
capped at $7.70.
“We’re also investing $3.4 billion
to add life-changing and life-saving
medicines to the PBS,” Chalmers
added.
“Cutting the cost of one breast
cancer treatment from around
$100,000 down to just $31.60.”
Charlton said the Budget will
deliver more rent relief to 8,000
households in Parramatta with a 10
per cent increase to the Commonwealth
Rent Assistance, on top of
the 15 per cent increase delivered in
the last Budget.
More houses are also set to be
on the way, with the Government
committing to build 1.2 million
of them over the next five years.
An additional $1.9 billion will
be delivered in loans to help
build 40,000 social and affordable
homes.
Charlton said roads in Parramatta
will also be made safer, with $31
million to go towards road upgrades
and safety improvements over five
years as part of the Road to Recovery
program. This funding will go
towards projects in the Cumberland
and Parramatta Council areas.
The Government will also invest
$3.4 billion to address violence
against women, with $925 million to
go towards establishing the permanent
Leaving Violence Program.
HAVE YOUR SAY ON
THE FUTURE
OF PARRAMATTA
P ARRA
MATTA
2 0 5 0
By 2050, Parramatta will be
a city of more than 500,000
people in the geographic
heart of Greater Sydney and
more people will be living west
of Parramatta than to its east.
To chart a course for
Parramatta’s continued
transformation into a global
city, the City of Parramatta
has prepared draft
Parramatta 2050.
Draft Parramatta 2050 is the
City of Parramatta’s long
term strategic vision which
leverages the city’s key
assets and outlines the big
opportunities for Parramatta
now and into the future.
Have your say on the future of
Parramatta and whether you
think draft Parramatta 2050
delivers exciting opportunities
for generations to come!
Visit Participate Parramatta
to learn more, complete our
survey, and have your say!
participate.cityofparramatta.
nsw.gov.au/2050
Draft Parramatta 2050 is
currently on public exhibition
with submissions welcome
until 5pm on Friday 19 July
2024. You can have your say
using the following options.
ONLINE
Visit the website or scan
the QR code to complete our
survey.
VIA EMAIL
Parramatta2050@
cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au
BY POST
Attn: City Strategy,
City of Parramatta Council,
PO Box 32, Parramatta NSW
2124
IN-PERSON POP-UP SESSIONS AT
Thursday 13 June,
5.30 – 7pm, Wigram
Street, Harris Park
Thursday 13 June,
5.30 – 7pm, PHIVE,
5 Parramatta Square,
Parramatta
Saturday 15 June,
10.30am – 12pm, Marina
Square Shopping Centre,
Wentworth Point
Thursday 20 June,
5 – 6.30pm, North Rocks
Shopping Centre
Saturday 22 June,
10.30am – 12pm, John
Wearn Reserve, Farnell
Avenue, Carlingford
Thursday 27 June, 5 –
6.30pm, Carlingford Court
Saturday 29 June, 10.30am
– 12pm, Coles Carpark,
Rawson Street, Epping
Thursday 4 July,
4.30 – 6pm, Waratah
Shopping Centre, Benaud
Place, Telopea
Saturday 6 July,
9 – 10.30am, Doyle
Ground (next to ‘the
Container’), Albert Street,
North Parramatta
Saturday 13 July,
10 – 11.30am, Binalong
Park, Binalong Road,
Old Toongabbie
If you have questions or require further information, please call Council on 02 9806 5050.
participate.cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au/2050
PN53822
Tuesday, May 21, 2024 « parra news 11