Page 2559 - Week 08 - Thursday, 30 June 2005
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I do, however, think there are some areas where we could do more to promote health and wellbeing through the business sector. For example, more could be done to assist businesses in the ACT to develop family-friendly work practices. It is flagged in the economic white paper that, outside the public sector, there does not seem to be a clear or planned approach. I think there is a role for Business ACT to assist private businesses, including small and medium sized businesses, with advice and coaching to develop and implement family-friendly workplaces without undermining their viability. There are strong links here with access to childcare and support for people with caring responsibilities, issues that require a whole-of-community approach across government and across the private and community sectors.
I refer to City West. As I have stated several times in the Assembly and in the estimates committees, I am greatly concerned about the City West development and the impacts it will have on community organisations. I am concerned that community organisations and interested arts groups are not being involved or informed of the City West planning and development process and are suffering anxiety about their future accommodation.
During the estimates hearings the minister suggested that community organisations might not be appropriately accommodated in areas that are considered highly valued real estate. I think this was a highly inappropriate comment, and against the government’s community facility land use policy, which states that the government will ensure that community services are located in appropriate and accessible locations. As a result of the comments, the estimates committee has recommended that the government affirm a commitment to providing accommodation for community organisations within the City West precinct and other inner city areas. I note that the government’s response to this is positive, but it is still a little too vague for my liking.
I would also like to highlight that, during the estimates hearings, the Treasurer committed to investigating if he could table the ANU deed of agreement, as this was seen by members of the committee to be an important public document. I acknowledge that the deed was tabled this week. That is a good outcome. In addition, I was very pleased to see the recent report of the Standing Committee on Planning and Environment into the City West development. I hope to see the government adopt all the recommendations relating to arts and community group accommodation.
On tourism, the committee was pleased to see the government’s encouragement of adventure sports and nature-based tourism in the ACT through events such as the new Brindabella challenge. I think this is an area that has potential to develop, but I hope the emphasis on investment in tourism as an economic investment does not override other instances. For example, the number of dollars to be spent on the arboretum is justified ad infinitum and ad nauseam on the grounds that it might increase tourism. I think we should be developing Canberra primarily as a good place for Canberrans of all classes to live in and a model of sustainable development and design for the 21st century. I think that will bring tourists from all over the world to Canberra, because there are too few examples of cities like that. It will also create the industries we need and provide scope for innovative thinkers. No; blank that; it goes elsewhere.
On the ACT recreation study, I would like to very briefly reiterate my concerns that the Department of Economic Development is the lead agency for this study, therefore raising
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