Page 1996 - Week 07 - Thursday, 24 June 2021
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Australian Trade Commissioner to Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea and the Pacific. This discussion was a valuable insight into the opportunities for Australian businesses in New Zealand and the Pacific—opportunities that again align with Canberra’s international engagement strategy and the government’s key capability areas. This was also an opportune time to discuss the territory’s work to foster two-way trade between Australia and New Zealand, the forthcoming Canberra Pacific forum later this year and the appointment of a Pacific liaison officer to work with the Pacific Island missions based in Canberra.
The mission was also an opportunity to further Canberra’s growing reputation as a go-to destination for filmmaking. Canberrans will recall the filming of the car chase scene for Blacklight that occurred not far from here, including the eye-catching prosthetic head of actor Liam Neeson. I understand Screen Canberra has been inundated with interest and queries since that particular filming. I thank Screen Canberra CEO Monica Penders for her enthusiasm and engagement with a range of industry stakeholders in New Zealand, including the New Zealand Film Commission and Screen Wellington.
COVID has clearly created challenges for trade and tourism across the globe. It is clear that effective responses from governments to the pandemic—including, most importantly, here in the ACT—and continued support for trade and tourism has placed us in good stead to leverage these trans-Tasman opportunities.
I thank the commissioner, Brendan Smyth, and the office for their continued work, including organising the recent trade delegation. We are committed to strengthening our significant relationship with New Zealand, including our sister city relationship with Wellington, and we look forward to the re-establishment of direct flights between Canberra and New Zealand in the near future. I present the following paper:
Trade mission to New Zealand 26-29 May 2021—Ministerial statement, 24 June 2021.
I move:
That the Assembly take note of the paper.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Environment—Namadgi National Park
Ministerial statement
MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella-Manager of Government Business, Minister for Corrections, Minister for Industrial Relations and Workplace Safety, Minister for Planning and Land Management and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (10.13): I am pleased to update the Assembly on recovery and management in Namadgi National Park.
As we celebrated World Environment Day on 5 June, I took particular pride in noting that no other state or territory in Australia sets aside more land for conservation, as a
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