Page 554 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 30 March 2021

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the views of individuals who are concerned about the green space that will be taken over through this development and ensure that it meets the needs of everybody.

I agree that this expansion of Kippax will not please everybody all the time. That is why it has been important to have a considered process, a very careful conversation with the community and the developers about what that change will look like. It is going to be a significant change for west Belconnen and for our community out there. The conversation has been held; it is now time for the process of inviting expressions of interest to occur. Minister Gentleman and I have written to the owners of Kippax Fair to start that ball rolling—by May at the latest, but as soon as we practicably can—so that that work can continue.

It is not correct to suggest that there has not been considered and careful conversation about the redevelopment of Kippax. I have been involved in the process for many years now. It was required because of the views of some residents in Kippax—and in the whole west Belconnen community. They needed to be listened to and we needed to reach some kind of consensus with everybody on a development which is going to be challenging for the community, a development that we can all live with and that meets the needs of a growing west Belconnen community.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse—progress report on implementation of recommendations

Ministerial statement

MR BARR (Kurrajong—Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Climate Action, Minister for Economic Development and Minister for Tourism) (10.18): The ACT government released its second annual progress report against the royal commission’s recommendations in December 2019. I am pleased to say that, since then, the ACT government has adapted to the radically changed circumstances brought about by the COVID-19 public health emergency and has continued to deliver important progress against the recommendations, as outlined in this third annual progress report.

Since 2019 we have fulfilled 29 additional commitments, taking the total number of recommendations delivered to 167. We are progressing work on 123 other recommendations, and we will continue to report on our progress to the Assembly and to the ACT community.

In the last year we have made progress against all four themes: making institutions child safe; an oversight system that responds to child safety; services for children and young people; and tailored support through specialist services. Ensuring children and young people’s safety is a fundamental responsibility of society. We are proud to continue advancing this holistic and forward-thinking body of work to protect and support all children in the territory.

Last year we passed legislative amendments which completed the ACT’s work on recommendations from the Working with children checks report and ensured


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