Page 3218 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 10 November 2021

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where COVID cases or quarantine for close contacts had occurred. This included workforce management, access to PPE and training in correct use, and case management support for people with complex needs. Without this partnership, we would not have had the same outcomes that we have seen with the recent cases in that area.

I am very thankful for the work of all involved and the work they continue to do as we continue to see COVID cases in our community. The last three months in particular have provided an opportunity to learn how we can better connect the work of different directorates, health services and community sector organisations to provide the best possible outcomes.

While the last three months have been a period of intense workload, and there will be more work ahead of us as the pandemic continues, I look forward to a time when we are able to sit down with our community sector partners and have those conversations about how we can build resilience within the sector and within our community more broadly for the next time our community faces a crisis. We want to make sure that the roof is fixed while the sun is shining, to be ready for the next storm.

The ACT government has a strong and enduring relationship with the local community sector, and I look forward to building on that in the coming years. It is crucial that the relationship remains strong, that we continuously improve how we work together and that the NGO sector is supported to remain ready to help our community. This is the foundation of a strong social compact.

Once again, I thank the community sector for their ongoing commitment to working in partnership with the ACT government for the benefit of the Canberra community. I acknowledge the intensity of work that has been required and the kindness shown by so many in our city over the last two years, particularly in recent months. I wish everyone in the community sector well, and hope that you are able to rest and recharge over the summer. I look forward to working closely with you into 2022.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Trees—urban canopy

Ministerial statement

MR STEEL (Murrumbidgee—Minister for Skills, Minister for Transport and City Services and Special Minister of State) (10.56): It is a pleasure to provide the Assembly with an update on the implementation of the Urban Forest Strategy 2021-45. The strategy was released in March this year, and in the months since we have seen great progress in implementation, despite the massive challenges that the COVID-19 health emergency has thrown at us. Last month we released new data and a report highlighting some of the key achievements that have been made to date. I will be tabling a copy of this report.

As of 2020, Canberra’s canopy cover is estimated to be 22.5 per cent of the urban footprint. We know this through updated light detection and ranging—LiDAR—analysis, which I released last month. This is a great baseline that we can now use to


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