Page 3054 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 16 September 2015

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As of July 2015, the following red tape reforms have been implemented: amendments to audit requirements under the Associations Incorporation Act to reduce the cost of audits to incorporated associations in the ACT; reduced financial reporting requirements under service funding agreements to only once a year; extension of the maximum term of service funding agreements from three to five years, based on an assessment of appropriateness and risk; the development of a simpler recurrent grant arrangement and the transferral of 47 low risk service funding agreements that did not represent the clear purchase of services to recurrent grants; and the introduction of a single relationship manager for community organisations funded by the Community Services Directorate to reduce the number of people funded organisations have to deal with.

Underpinning community sector reform is the government’s commitment to support the 2012 community sector equal remuneration order. More than $60 million in total will be provided over the nine-year phase in the equal remuneration order by the ACT and commonwealth governments together. This funding will help to provide better conditions and pay for workers in the community sector. The ACT community sector workforce—approximately 3,800 people at last survey—is becoming more professional as terms and conditions of employment also improve. We expect to see the disability workforce double under the NDIS as funding also doubles and reaches $340 million by 2019-20.

In addition, the ACT and commonwealth governments have provided grants and business development packages to the sector to assist them in improving their operations and sustainability. These include $2.6 million in payments to community organisations in 2014-15 and $3.4 million in 2015-16. Not only does the ACT government support business through the work of Roads ACT and the Community Services Directorate; there is also our planning system which has a critical role in ensuring that the ACT remains competitive and attractive to business to grow the economy.

Work in my planning portfolio is focused on progressing a number of key initiatives that aim to grow our economy and make Canberra an even greater place to live. These initiatives include implementing the ACT planning strategy and transport for Canberra, progressing Canberra’s urban renewal and master plan program, building integrated transport network policies and facilitating planning approvals and cutting red tape.

The ACT planning strategy and transport for Canberra set out a planning and transport framework to guide future growth of our city. These strategies prioritise developments along the major transport corridors that connect the new town centres and major group centres. The approach being undertaken by the ACT government to integrate land use and transport planning will deliver on the government’s vision for a connected, livable and prosperous city with strong communities and a growing economy.

Quality design and planning is helping to put Canberra on the world stage. As Minister for Planning, it was heartening to see Canberra awarded the gong for the world’s most livable city by the OECD in October 2014. Quality design and planning


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