Page 6145 - Week 14 - Thursday, 9 December 2010

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Planning for the next stage of Molonglo Valley is underway, with a draft planning and design framework due to be completed by mid-2011. It will form the basis of the next residential land releases, a group centre and higher density residential areas.

The ACT Planning and Land Authority is in the final stages of its review of planning for Gungahlin town centre and will release a draft variation to the territory plan shortly. Works arising from the Black Mountain peninsula master plan are scheduled to take place in the first half of next year and a conservation management plan for Weston Park is expected to go to the Heritage Council for endorsement in the early months of next year. Construction of the Tuggeranong Seniors Club in Greenway is programmed for completion next year.

In 2011 and beyond, the government will continue to respond to the challenges of housing demand and affordability. In 2010-11 5,000 dwelling sites will be released with 17,000 to be released over the coming four years. In 2010-11 the Chief Minister, the Treasurer and the minister for housing and community services will jointly oversee a review of the public housing sector. The 2010-11 budget funds master planning and design studies for the Tuggeranong town centre and Erindale group centre and also for the much valued precinct of Pialligo.

Master planning work for the Bega, Allawah and Currong apartments will continue into next year, and in the coming year the Centenary of Canberra Unit will continue to work on a full program of events for this city’s centenary. In 2011 work will commence on many of the projects identified in the Canberra city area action plan. Construction of the business centre at the National Arboretum will also begin.

The government accepts the overwhelming scientific evidence that human activity has already changed, and will continue to change, our climate. Rather than walk away from this responsibility, as stewards of the future of this great city the government is taking practical steps to address and tackle the implications of climate change. The government will put in place mechanisms for the long-term measurement of greenhouse gas emissions to allow for the tracking of progress in emissions reduction. We will establish and implement a framework to achieve carbon neutrality in government operations by 2020.

As minister for the environment, climate change and energy, I have been pleased to announce and am committed to progressing work on the expansion of the ACT’s feed-in tariff scheme to large-scale commercial production capable of powering many thousands of Canberra homes with renewable energy. The expansion of the feed-in tariff for medium and large-scale generation will create significant economic opportunities for our city and will assist the city to make the transition to a low carbon economy. The ACT government is committed to making our city Australia’s solar capital. The expansion of the feed-in tariff establishes the policy framework needed to make that happen.

The government knows that vision needs to be supported by action. That is why we will continue to plan for the future. We will revise the ACT’s climate change strategy, weathering the change, and release action plan 2 as a roadmap to carbon neutrality. The government will increase the ACT’s use of renewable energy and support the


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