Page 2606 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 28 June 2011
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Turning to item (f), developing a policy paper on local food production, including community and household gardens, the interagency working group considered developing a policy paper on local food production and identified that this is a complex matter that is much broader than the provision of community and household gardens. Therefore, the government has decided that it will undertake a scoping study to investigate local food production in the ACT and I propose to refer this matter to the strategic board for advice. Subject to the scoping study’s findings, the government will then consider whether a more detailed study should be undertaken, potentially in collaboration with local university researchers such as at the University of Canberra and the Fenner School at the ANU.
In conclusion, the government supports the continued establishment and operation of community gardens in the ACT. I have outlined a number of initiatives to facilitate community gardens in the ACT. These initiatives include one-stop shop approval process, exemption from development approval, waiver of licence fees, preparation of site selection criteria and information about community gardens in a centralised location. This is on the ACT government website.
In order to canvass community interest and support for community gardens, I am proposing that site selection criteria be made available for public comment prior to their adoption. To support the site selection criteria, a background paper on community gardens will also be released to assist in informing public comment.
MS LE COUTEUR (Molonglo), by leave: I thank the minister very much for this statement. It was in response to a motion of mine passed in the Assembly earlier this year. And I am generally pleased at the positive tone of the minister’s comments and the information provided. There are a few areas, obviously, that I am possibly slightly less pleased about.
Item (a) refers to setting aside space for community gardens in all new and established developments. The minister’s report mentions this can be achieved anyway. Many things can be achieved through the existing territory plan. What we are looking for is something a bit stronger than “can be achieved”, something like “will be achieved”, although on the same page there is also a very positive comment about developing mechanisms whereby a developer can instigate a community garden before the community has been developed to use that garden.
Something else that is a very positive statement in this is that the minister is saying that the licence process will be streamlined so as to become a one-stop shop. This will be important. I actually have a lot of emails from people about establishing community gardens and it seems to be a very time-consuming and tedious process, which means that many people who otherwise might have been able to be part of one are not able to be part of one.
The most disappointing thing in the minister’s statement is deciding that there would be no funding for even a part-time coordinator. I have been talking to a lot of people who would like to see more community gardens in Canberra. I have absolutely no doubt that a part-time coordinator, who, I would suspect, would not be employed by
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