Page 5245 - Week 14 - Wednesday, 29 November 2017

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Access Canberra—Braddon street party

MS CHEYNE: My question is to the Minister for Regulatory Services. Minister, how did Access Canberra’s efficient service help facilitate the fabulous results party in Braddon after the marriage equality survey results were announced?

MR RAMSAY: I thank Ms Cheyne for the question. It was a great time of celebration. The coming together of the street party in Braddon to celebrate those survey results is testimony to the reason that Access Canberra was set up. The events and business coordination team exists to help you get your event and your liquor licensing ideas over the line. They work with organisers to ensure they get all relevant approvals and provide suggestions on the best way to make this happen.

In this case, the team worked with four specific businesses, in addition to the event organiser, to ensure that relevant approvals were in place. Temporary traffic management plans, variations to liquor permits and applications to close and use a road were all processed in a timely manner thanks to the efforts of the team. They also engaged with other agencies such as ACT Policing, Transport Canberra and City Services and the Emergency Services Agency to ensure that all public safety issues were identified and addressed.

This service is not about finding shortcuts or merely waving through applications. The service is there to ensure that people or groups who are organising events or engaging with the liquor permit system have the information that they need, and this is possible because Access Canberra looks at the events in a holistic way and with a coordinated response.

It is through this coordinated response that we are better able to serve the people of Canberra, to ensure that they remain safe and also to ensure that they get out and have a good time and that innovative and exciting ideas come to fruition.

MS CHEYNE: Can the minister advise how Access Canberra aided in ensuring the safety of revellers through the process of road closures at the event?

MR RAMSAY: I thank Ms Cheyne for the supplementary question. That fateful Wednesday was, indeed, a big day and naturally people wanted to come together and celebrate that we are inclusive society, both here in Canberra and across Australia. Access Canberra’s events team provided information to the event organisers to ensure that all necessary approvals were sought and approved to allow the hundreds and possibly thousands of people who were celebrating to do so safely. This included coordinating the road closures, ensuring appropriate traffic management plans were created by relevant professionals and that approvals to both close and use a public road were processed and approved. Advice was given about how to obtain relevant public liability insurance and to ensure that the street was cleaned and ready to use again after the closure.

This team is filled with experts in all manner of issues relating to event planning and can help anyone put on something as big as a celebratory street party simply and


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