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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 8 Hansard (29 August) . . Page.. 2558 ..
MR WOOD (continuing):
With the committee, I do look forward to further gains in the future in attending to the needs of those receiving respite care and those providing it.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
MR SMYTH (Minister for Urban Services) (3.57): Mr Speaker, for the information of members I present:
Planning and Urban Services-Standing Committee-Report No 44-An appropriate tree management and protection policy for the ACT (presented 9 May 2000)-Government response.
I move:
That the Assembly takes note of the paper.
The statement being tabled today is the government's response to the Standing Committee on Planning and Urban Services report No 44, An Appropriate Tree Management and Protection Policy for the ACT.
Members will recall that a tree management task force was convened by the Department of Urban Services in January 1998 in response to concerns by the community about the removal of mature trees from several urban leases in 1997. The task force prepared a discussion paper that identified priority issues requiring attention by government.
In July 1998 the paper was referred to the Standing Committee on Planning and Urban Services for consideration and a report. The committee released its report on 2 May 2000. The government welcomes the committee's report and supports the general thrust of its 27 recommendations, the main one of which is that the government prepare a comprehensive trees policy for the management and protection of trees in the ACT.
The key elements of the government's response are as follows: over the coming six months, Environment ACT will prepare a comprehensive tree management and protection policy for the ACT. The trees policy will bring together existing policies in one document, identifying policy and coordination gaps and priority actions to be implemented.
A central element of the trees policy will be a significant tree register for the ACT. Criteria for inclusion of a tree or group of trees on the register, and the extent of its coverage, will be developed over the next three months for consultation with the community. There will be improved coordination between ACT government agencies on the management of trees through the establishment of a tree management network, which will be chaired by Environment ACT and include major ACT government stakeholder agencies.
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