Information for You and Your
Family
On this website, you will find information about the components
of the Economic Stimulus Plan that may be important or of interest
to you and your family. Whether you’re looking for information on
Bonus Payments, investment in the infrastructure of your child’s
school, or how to claim a
solar hot water rebate, this website can provide you with the
information you need.
You can also watch the roll out of the Plan on the interactive
My Community map. Search by postcode, suburb or town to see
what is happening in your neighbourhood.
Renewable Energy Bonus Scheme
On 19 February 2010 the Government announced that a new household
Renewable Energy Bonus Scheme will assist households to save money
on power bills and reduce their carbon emissions.
This new Scheme will replace the Home Insulation Program and the
Solar Hot Water Rebate Program both of which are discontinued as of
close of business 19 February 2010.
Over 1.1 million houses were insulated under the Home Insulation
Program with $1.4 billion paid, and more than 122,000 applications
received under the Solar Hot Water Rebate with more than $164
million paid. This Program was discontinued on 19 February 2010 and
replaced with a new household Renewable Energy Bonus Scheme.
For more information visit the
Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts website.
Householders and installers can contact 1800 808 571.
Installers can also call 1800 029 686 for more
information relating to payment for work undertaken.
Electrical safety checks recently announced for homes with foil
insulation will continue.
For more about electrical safety visit the
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts.
The Australian Government has provided
eligible
people with a tax bonus payment of up to $900.
To be
eligible for the tax bonus payment you must have lodged your
2007-08 income tax return by 30 June 2009, unless the Tax Office
granted you a deferred lodgement date before 18 February 2009.
If you were expecting a payment and haven't received one, check
the
Tax Bonus Payment Fact Sheet or visit
www.ato.gov.au to find out what
you should do.
The Australian Government allocated $12.2 billion towards targeted bonus payments to assist households and support economic growth in 2008-09.
The payments included a Tax Bonus Payment, $900 Single Income Family Bonus, $950 Farmers’ Hardship Payment, $950 Back to School Bonus and a $950 Training and Learning Bonus.
For information about the Tax Bonus visit
www.ato.gov.au. For more information about the Single Income Family Bonus, Farmers Hardship Payment, Back to School Bonus, and the Training and Learning Bonus visit
www.centrelink.gov.au
Every eligible Australian school has been able to access a part of the
Government’s investment to build or renew their infrastructure,
including classrooms, halls, gymnasiums and libraries.
The Government’s Economic Stimulus Plan will deliver a $16.2
billion boost to the Building the Education Revolution over the next three financial years.
Since the beginning of the program in February 2009 there have been
substantial achievements delivered across all three key Building the
Education Revolution components:
In total, $1.288 billion in funding has been approved for 9,495
Australian schools to refurbish and renew existing infrastructure,
under the National School Pride Program.
Over three rounds of funding, $14.1 billion has been approved for
10,656 projects at 7,961 primary schools in every State and
Territory under the Primary Schools for the 21st element (as at 31
December 2009).
The Science and Language Centres for 21st Century Secondary
Schools element of the BER has $821.8 million in funding approved
for 537 secondary schools to build or refurbish science laboratories
and language centres.
The Social Housing Initiative will provide funding of $5.238
billion over three and a half years from 2008-09 to 2011-12 for the
construction of new social housing (in two stages), and a further
$400 million over two years for repairs and maintenance to existing
public housing dwellings.
This Initiative is being conducted in partnership with State and
Territory governments. It will provide a boost to public housing and
housing administered by the not-for-profit community sector and is
designed to assist low income Australians who are homeless or
struggling in the private rental market.
The Australian Government has approved funding for Repairs and
Maintenance, and for both Stage One and Stage Two construction.
For more detailed information, including implementation details,
visit the
Social Housing page of this website.
The Government is also assisting Australian Defence Force
families by providing an additional $245.58 million to Defence
Housing Australia for the construction of an extra 829 residential
houses, being built across Australia.
DHA have included an additional 27 houses to their original
construction target of 802, using the funding of $245.58 million
allocated under the Nation Building – Economic Stimulus Plan.
Community infrastructure investment is a key component of the
Australian Government's $42 billion Nation Building – Economic
Stimulus Plan that will help support Australian jobs.
The Australian Government has already allocated $800 million to
the Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program to fund
local government to build and renew local infrastructure such as
community, centres, town halls, park and playgrounds, pool and
sports facilities.
This rapid injection of funds into local communities will support
local jobs to specific communities over the short and long term.
For a list of construction and refurbishment projects in local
communities across Australia see the
project list on this website, or visit the
My Community map and explore for yourself.
Australians will benefit from faster, safer and more efficient
road and rail transport, thanks to a total investment of more than
$2.3 billion by the Australian Government.
Under the Nation Building - Economic Stimulus Plan, new and
existing roads, railways and boom gates will be constructed or
upgraded while accident Black Spots and regional roads will be
improved.
Under the Economic Stimulus Plan, $711 million in funding has
been brought forward to accelerate 14
road projects across Australia under the Nation Building
Program. All 14 projects have now been approved and are progressing
well.
The Government will provide a total Equity Injection of $1.2
billion for the Australian Rail Transport Corporation (ARTC) to
improve freight and passenger transport on the nation’s railways.
Funding of $150 million has also been allocated for safety
improvement projects under the
Black Spot Program to reduce the risk of accidents at dangerous
locations on our roads. The funding will target specific sites
around Australia where there have been serious accidents, or where
there is an increased risk a serious accident will occur. In total,
more than 600 high-risk areas will be addressed.
In addition, $150 million funding has been allocated to the
installation of over 290 new
boom gates and other safety measures at high risk rail crossings
around Australia.