Page 4589 - Week 14 - Thursday, 24 November 2005
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out of tragedy. It is a wonderful example of the work of unsung heroes in our community—people like Mark O’Neill and the urban fire unit at Kambah.
At the conference we heard from organisations like Volunteers ACT, represented by Ms Porter, and we heard how community organisations could better prepare themselves for the great outpouring of support—how best to help people to help people. If Mr Pratt had bothered to attend the conference, he would have seen first hand, as the delegates did, recovery in progress with a tour of the Tidbinbilla nature reserve. As his colleague Mr Seselja did, he would have heard from Barton Williams of VicUrban on the sustainability benchmarks VicUrban is working with. Maybe next year, Mr Pratt.
We found some other key points concerning the committee process at the conference with regard to the government response to committee reports. I will quote from paragraph 1.24, page 10, table 1. It says:
The ACT Government has responded to all of this Assembly’s P&E Committee reports except for the most recent reports tabled in September.
It then goes on to quote Ms Ellis, with regard to federal government reports. It says:
The convention, not always honoured, is for a government response to a House of Representatives Committee report to be tabled within 90 days. For e.g, the Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories tabled four reports relevant to Norfolk Island July 2001 – 2004, none of which were responded to. The government took just over 12 months to respond to the committee’s August 2004 report on the redevelopment of bushfire-affected Pierces Creek, ACT.
This is another example of good governance in the ACT. Before concluding, I would like to again thank members of the committee office for their support and dedication to making this conference the great success story it was. I would also like to thank Ray Blundell for his technical support and good humour during the conference, and Siew Chin Scholar for her substantial biographical research in the lead-up to the conference. I commend the report to the Assembly.
Motion agreed to.
Planning and Environment—Standing Committee
Report 17
Debate resumed from 22 November 2005, on motion by Mr Gentleman:
That the report be noted.
MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella) (11.44): I am pleased to be able to discuss the draft variation to the territory plan again.
Mrs Burke: Mr Speaker, on a point of order, where is this on the sheet?
MR SPEAKER: It is the second item of Assembly business. It is listed on the notice paper but it is not listed on the blue.
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