Page 121 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 9 December 2008
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very pleased to speak in this discussion of a matter of public importance today, and I commend Ms Hunter for proposing it.
When we refer to the “greening” of the economy, we are really, of course, referring to two things. One is the development of overtly green industries—the manufacture of solar panels perhaps, the establishment of wind farms or the design of hybrid vehicles. But greening the economy is about much more than this. It is about improving the sustainability of all sectors of the economy. It is about collectively reducing our greenhouse gas emissions through greater efficiency and through changes in behaviour. It is about retrofitting our buildings and reducing our power and water consumption. It is even about building better roads to improve commuting times and thereby reduce the length of time cars spend on the road.
Two months ago, just before the election, I released Capital development: towards our second century. It is the government’s plan for securing and sharing the economic prosperity of our community. Capital development is grounded in the ACT Labor Government’s commitment to a sustainable economy. It is a plan for capitalising on our existing sectoral strengths—strengths that by their nature lend themselves perfectly to the advancement of a greener economy in both the senses that I have outlined. Research and innovation—our raw materials here in the ACT—are in themselves cleaner industries than the energy-intensive, planet-gouging industries that so many cities depend upon. Of course, research and innovation are the very sectors that give rise to the new technologies that allow us to deliberately and consciously minimise our carbon load.
The three strategic themes of Capital development all lead us towards an economy that is more sustainable, less burdensome on the environment and more sensitive to the right of future generations to inherit a place worth inheriting. The first theme, investing in people, is about giving Canberrans the skills that will enable them to come up with the solutions to today’s challenges—the skills that will make them part of the answer when it comes to climate change, rather than part of the problem. The second theme, encouraging business and innovation, is about the ACT government supporting partnerships and integration between the scientific and business communities so that new green technologies can be developed in the ACT and applied locally, nationally and globally. This is not only an acknowledgement of our sectoral strengths; it is a means of continuing the diversification of the ACT’s economic base. Our third strategic theme is building infrastructure and planning for the future. The ACT government recognises that expanded, reconfigured and new infrastructure will play an important role in addressing challenges such as climate change and moving our economy towards greater sustainability.
The Labor government’s $1 billion infrastructure investment program, announced as part of the most recent budget, includes a massive $100 million to specifically meet the challenges of climate change. But it also involves $250 million for a more efficient transport system—one of the most proven ingredients of addressing our collective impact on the environment.
Climate change is not a challenge for the ACT alone. That is why, in fashioning a local response, we must look beyond our own remit, beyond our own resources and
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