Page 3518 - Week 11 - Thursday, 19 September 2013
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These seem like little things, but they are big things for people’s daily lives. I am really interested in the government’s plan for front door to the bus stop, front door to the shop and front door to school. Urban decay leads to depressed residents and an increase in crime. I think that is well understood.
In conclusion, I will continue to work towards protecting our city’s urban environment from decay and I will continue to ask the government why they have been distracted from providing these services better. The minister, Mr Corbell, outlined that, as far as he is concerned, urban environment means planning, sustainability, urban growth, transport, carbon neutrality, light rail and nature conservation. While each of these things has its merits, it is not really what we are talking about. We are talking about the little things at the suburban level that make people’s lives better or worse. I ask the government to put greater emphasis on this.
MS BURCH (Brindabella—Minister for Education and Training, Minister for Disability, Children and Young People, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Women, Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Minister for Racing and Gaming) (4.25): I thank Mr Smyth for bringing this to our attention. I go to a comment of his around visual pollution. I find this quite interesting from Mr Smyth, so I want to draw to his attention again, and I will continue to draw to his attention, the matters I find are visually polluting, and the three members of Brindabella which I know utilise Chisholm and Erindale shops—the signs from the 2008 campaign that are still stuck on give-way signs and road signs in the area.
While Mr Smyth was going through his concerns about visual pollution, I went through to the TAMS website, posters and noticeboards. They make comment about poster silos installed at shopping centres and other locations. They are legal sites for poster advertisements and community notices, and can be used freely by everybody. Then there is a section on illegal bill posting. It says:
Illegal bill posting refers to the act of placing posters on public places and private places such as walls, poles, fences and hoardings. Illegal bill posters are costly. In any one year, there are thousands of illegal posters attached to both public and private property. Bill posters detract from the amenity of our city and create a poor image for Canberra’s visitors. Bill posters peel and create litter which pollutes pavements and stormwater systems, and eventually have an adverse environmental affect on our lakes and waterways.
Then there is the next section, under “Enforcement”:
Bill posting is illegal under Section 119 of the Crimes Act 1900. Since December 2008, the ACT Government has targeted the enforcement of illegal bill posting. Penalties include $1,000 for individuals and $5,000 for businesses. Any individual or commercial business posting illegal bill posters may be subject to be penalties under this legislation. To report illegal bill posting call Canberra Connect …
But I want to take this opportunity more directly to put this to the Canberra Liberals on notice now. Can you please go through—
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