Page 1788 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 4 June 2014
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the specific number of jobs that come from that, but what is also clear—we have seen it in every other city in the world that has done this—is that you get other things happening around light rail.
You get the agglomeration concept that I have talked about in this place before where other industries take shape. Having modern infrastructure systems actually draws a particular demographic to a city. There is a great level of discussion out there about modern young professionals and the sorts of cities they like to go to. I have certainly moved in those circles at times in the expat community where people look around the world at cities and what sort of transport and lifestyle opportunities they offer as well as job opportunities.
For me, something like light rail will actually provide the kind of living environment that certain types of professionals will want to live in, as well as obviously the different types of jobs that come with having that infrastructure, both in its construction and delivery phases. I think that improving some of the ACT government policies, regulation and the business environment will allow for major private sector growth in green industry. Renewable energy investment, energy efficiency investment and the resource recovery sector are places where I see opportunity.
That would not come as any surprise. Certainly, I have said this before, and my former colleagues have made similar comments. Having something like a feed-in tariff scheme which drives the uptake of solar energy has created a diversity of jobs in the ACT. We saw additional electrician and solar installer positions being created. Unfortunately, we did get to a bit of a phase where some of those positions were coming from outside the jurisdiction, but I think a well-done policy would create a range of jobs. Energy efficiency is certainly an area where there is potential for job opportunities. The retailer scheme that was passed by this Assembly last term will drive jobs in those spaces. There is no doubt about it.
Clearly, when it comes to the resource recovery sector, without opening up the whole Nowaste discussion, we have got work to do to find ways to deal with waste streams that we have not yet successfully dealt with. We still have quite a significant amount of our waste going to landfill. I think there is scope for an enhanced resource recovery sector.
I might say that it is a very difficult sector, particularly now with my portfolio responsibility in TAMS. It is a difficult market. We have seen some very significant changes, for example, in the price of recycled glass in recent times and the way that has moved around. They are areas that still warrant work and they are not entirely settled, but I think they are areas that warrant increased effort.
I think that creating an environment that makes it easy for small businesses and social enterprises to exist in a profitable way is a good way of ensuring local ongoing employment. I support the measures the Treasurer has moved through with in respect of payroll tax. Payroll tax is one of those penalties on human resource. The Greens have long held the view that we should put less penalty on human resource and more penalty on polluting resources. So I certainly support those sorts of things. They encourage small business and we know that small business is a real driver of both diversity and economic activity. So I certainly support that.
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