Leisure to Benefit from Federal Stimulus Package

The Federal Government's $42 billion stimulus package is set to boost the leisure industry.
The Nation Building and Jobs Plan is set to provide $500 million for community infrastructure such as libraries, town halls, community and sport centres.
The funding has been welcomed by the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) whose President Councillor Geoff Lake stated "it is clear that the Australian government sees local government with our dispersed and localised networks as the best placed level of government to spend money quickly and at short notice throughout all local communities in Australia.
"At this time when the economy and our communities are facing the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression we have to pull together and develop innovative solutions for the benefit of the nation."
The $500 million for community infrastructure builds on November's announcement of $300 million under the Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program for infrastructure funding for councils across Australia.
As Lake added, "this injection of additional funding for community facilities at the local level is without precedent and will mean a boost for jobs in local communities hit by the economic slowdown. It will also mean that projects previously unable to be afforded by councils will now be able to be delivered immediately.
Federal Minister for Tourism, Martin Ferguson believes the Nation Building and Jobs Plan will provide a major boost to Australian leisure operators and support the jobs of thousands of Australians who work in this sector.
The $2.7 billion temporary business tax break will help Australian businesses boost business investment, bolster economic activity, support Australian jobs, and deliver significant benefit to the tourism industry.
Minister Ferguson explained that Australian leisure operators are predominantly small businesspeople who can now claim an additional 30% tax deduction for eligible assets costing $1,000 or more that they acquire from 13th December 2008 to 30th June 2009, and install by 30th June, 2010, explaining that these "tax breaks mean a tourism small business operator who buys and installs a $2,000 computer this Financial Year, can claim an additional $600 deduction in his or her 2008-09 tax return."