Senator Trish Crossin has welcomed the Rudd Government’s announcement of around $4 billion for regional and rural Australians.
Date: 14 October 2008
Senator Trish Crossin has welcomed the Rudd Government’s announcement of around $4 billion for regional and rural Australians. This will provide 36,996 Territorians with extra support to help with the cost of living pressures, and to sustain economic growth.
This initiative is part of the Rudd Government’s $10.4 billion Economic Security Strategy that will strengthen regional economies and households, given the risk of a deep and prolonged global economic slowdown.
Pensioners, carers and families living in rural and regional Australia will benefit from additional financial assistance from 8 December this year.
This includes the thousands of families in the Territory who receive Family Tax Benefit A who will now receive a lump sum payment of $1000 in respect of each eligible child in their care.
The payment will also be made for each dependent child who receives Youth Allowance, Abstudy, or a Veteran’s Children’s Education Scheme payment.
Pensioners living in the Territory will receive a one-off payment of $1400 if they are single, or $2100 if they are a couple.
Recipients of the following payments will be eligible:
· Age Pension
· Carer Payment
· Disability Support Pension
· Bereavement Allowance, Wife Pension, Widow B Pension, Partner Allowance, Widow Allowance
· Special Benefit
· Veterans’ Affairs Service Pension
· Veterans Income Support Supplement
Those receiving Carer Allowance will also receive $1000 for each eligible person in their care.
All payments will be tax exempt and not included for income-testing purposes.
Many Territorians will also benefit from the First Home Owners Boost.
This initiative is designed to stimulate housing activity and give first home buyers a better chance in the housing market.
First home buyers who purchase established homes will have their grant doubled from $7,000 to $14,000, and those purchasing a newly constructed home will receive an extra $14,000 to take their grant to $21,000.