Domestic violence victims will get a big helping hand from the ACT government with a $21.4 million package at the heart of its budget.
But all Canberra households will pay for it with an annual $30 levy.
The 2016/17 ACT budget handed down on Tuesday shows a $182 million deficit, with the territory's superannuation liability included for the first time.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr is sticking with a plan to return to surplus in 2018/19, expecting to be back in the black to the tune of $33 million and double that the following year.
The ACT economy has seen off the bulk of federal cuts to the public service in recent years and growth is expected to return to the long-term trend of 2.5 per cent.
The Safer Families package is the most comprehensive response to the domestic violence crisis in the history of the ACT government, Mr Barr said on Tuesday.
It includes extra money for rape and domestic violence crisis centres, grants to help women and children leave violent partners, a three-month residential program for men who have or are likely to commit domestic violence, and more interpreters in courts.
Police will be allowed to apply for emergency protection orders on behalf of violence victims.
A new co-ordinator general for family safety will oversee all the efforts.
"I'm confident that this is a package that will make a big difference in starting a comprehensive territory-wide response to this most terrible form of violence," Attorney-General Simon Corbell told reporters on Tuesday.
Mr Barr said legislating a levy would bind future governments to continue working to prevent domestic violence.
The government is also continuing with its nation-leading tax reforms, with taxes on insurance premiums abolished from July 1.
Stamp duty on commercial properties with a sale price of less than $1.5 million will be phased out within three years.
Rates will rise by an average of 4.5 per cent for homes and 7 per cent for commercial properties in 2016/17, less than originally planned.
But apartment owners will be hit hard with a change in the way of calculating their value set to add $150 to rates bills in 2017/18 and $115 the following year.
The big spending items in the budget are again health and education, consuming more than half of the territory's $5.4 billion annual expenditure.
The government has also added $728.2 million in new infrastructure and capital spending over the next four years, including road and public transport upgrades, building a new public hospital at the University of Canberra, expanding existing hospitals, and preparation for building light rail.
The government continues with attempts to diversify Canberra's economy, with a focus on tourism and education.
It will spend more than $8 million bringing international cricket matches to the national capital.
Another $13.9 million will be spent promoting Canberra internationally and trying to attract more business to move to the national capital.
