Page 3342 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 17 August 2011
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I am advised that the EIS referral package is on track for formal submission in the next couple of weeks. Once a decision is made by the Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development relevant reports will be referred to the commonwealth environment minister for a decision.
The second proposal that has been discussed already this morning relates to the provision of a Catholic secondary school. The Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn has gained significant community support and made public its intention to open the new school for the 2013 school year. I might add, Madam Deputy Speaker, that, as Minister for Education and Training, I have supported the registration of a new Catholic secondary school in Gungahlin and that that process is going smoothly. We do note, though, that in the context of the land commonwealth and ACT environmental approvals will need to be obtained.
In conclusion, Madam Deputy Speaker, there are significant environmental values within Throsby that will be taken into consideration in determining the future of the suburb. These must also be weighed against the need to provide affordable housing for Canberrans. They must be weighed against the need to develop new housing that is more environmentally sustainable. They must be weighed against providing important social infrastructure like schools and a district sport and recreation precinct. This is the challenge for the entire community—to get the balance between development and the environment right. These aims are not necessarily competitive. On behalf of the community, the government will continue to examine all of the issues thoroughly to get the balance right.
MR RATTENBURY (Molonglo) (11.27): I move the amendment circulated in my name which is an amendment to Mr Corbell’s amendments:
Omit paragraph (2)(c), substitute:
“(c) commit to investigating the feasibility of incorporating existing biodiversity and ‘connectivity’ data into ACTMapi when the new version is commissioned by the end of the year and, subject to that assessment, will program the incorporation of the biodiversity data, as appropriate, and report back to the Assembly on progress in December 2011;”.
This is a very simple amendment. It simply seeks to substitute paragraph (2)(c) and add a request that the government report back to the Assembly on progress on the ACTMAPi framework and what the implementation is. The government have said at this stage that they can only commit to investigating the feasibility of incorporating existing biodiversity connectivity data into ACTMAPi. On that basis I think it would be useful for the government to give a report back to the Assembly on progress on that in December, by the end of this year. My amendment simply removes Mr Corbell’s paragraph (2)(c), which is probably a bit unnecessary for the purposes of the motion.
Mr Rattenbury’s amendment to Mr Corbell’s proposed amendments agreed to.
Question put:
That Mr Corbell’s amendments, as amended, be agreed to.
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