Buckle up, Canberra! The ACT Government and Chief Minister Andrew Barr have a lot planned for 2026. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
Canberrans have been told to expect a lot of promise-delivery from the ACT Government over the next 12 months.
But the Opposition and crossbenchers raised questions about the initiatives that weren’t mentioned in the numerous ‘key priorities for 2026’ speeches by ministers to the Legislative Assembly this week.
Big ticket legislative items this year include the expected passage of enabling laws for ‘missing middle’ housing reforms, firearms reform, work to strengthen hate crime and vilification laws, criminalising coercive control, more lease variation charge reforms and modernising bail laws.
The Domestic and Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme is set to start in November to strengthen coordination across services.
In the infrastructure projects space, the Molonglo Valley Emergency Services Station is set to open, the Molonglo River Bridge will be completed, Taylor’s getting new playing fields, the Woden Bus Interchange is almost fully built, and three new light rail stops will take shape along Commonwealth Avenue and London Circuit.
The design process for the new Northside Hospital is well underway, and early works will begin in March. The co-design of the new Birth Centre is also on course, and the South Tuggeranong Health Centre in Conder is expected to be completed in the second half of 2026.
Residential land in Belconnen, Woden, Tuggeranong and Molonglo will be released in 2026, and work continues on new suburbs such as Kenny, Bandler, Sulman, Ginninderry and the broader Molonglo Town Centre.
It’s also hoped the CSIRO site in Ginninderra will also become available for the ACT Government to build more houses.
Two Major Plan Amendments for Lyneham, Downer and Watson are under consideration, and decisions are expected later this year.
Development of policies and plans will also progress.
The outcome of the ACT Public School System Resourcing Review and the government’s response are expected in May. More details will be shared about how public, social and affordable housing stock will be delivered, there’s the recently announced Aquatic Strategy, consultation’s to open on the Southern Gateway Planning and Design Framework, work’s continuing on the major review of the Public Unleased Land Act, the ACT Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence strategy is slated for delivery mid-year, and public consultation will soon begin on the next ACT Nature Conservation Strategy.
Planning is underway to provide a new rapid bus service connecting the future Molonglo Town Centre interchange to Belconnen and the City, and consideration is being given to a new rapid service from Ginninderry through to the City, replacing the existing smaller connector services.
The inaugural ACT Government Design Excellence Awards will be held this year as part of ACT Labor’s commitment to work towards Canberra receiving recognition as a UNESCO City of Design, and the government is also looking into developing a Cultural Events Calendar.
“Canberra is continuing to evolve into a diverse, dynamic city with a strong public and private sector, a growing innovation ecosystem and city-shaping infrastructure that has made us one of the most liveable cities on earth,” Chief Minister Andrew Barr told the Assembly.
“The government looks forward to working constructively across the Assembly to achieve better outcomes for Canberrans.”
The ministers’ speeches are constrained by time, so they can’t detail every initiative, but Opposition and crossbench MLAs brought attention to the issues and projects they’d hoped would also be priorities for 2026.
Shadow Education Minister Elizabeth Lee welcomed the rollout of the Stronger Foundations program in ACT public schools, but questioned why the Year 1 phonics results wouldn’t be released.
She was also concerned that addressing rising rates of school violence wasn’t mentioned.
ACT Greens transport spokesperson Andrew Braddock questioned the government’s commitment to bus service frequency and supply, and where the plans were for a northern bus depot.
He also wants work to start now on Light Rail Stage 3 from Canberra Airport to Kippax.
Murrumbidgee independent MLA Fiona Carrick asked where the needs analysis for arts facilities work was up to, given there are no arts centres in her electorate.
Several MLAs also criticised the ACT Government for its ambitions to address climate change and meet emission targets.
