Page 3644 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 18 September 2018

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In conclusion, the better suburbs statement is not just a matter of priorities about how we deliver city services; it is an impressive vision for making the most of the interconnected and integrated networks that can help bring our suburbs to life.

Globally and locally, all communities are facing challenging and changing times. Good decision-making and working in partnership with our community is crucial to ensure that we navigate these changes with the best possible outcomes for our city, for the people that live here now and for the next generation.

This statement is integral to the future of Canberra’s suburbs as our city’s population grows. As a government, we must think strategically across our diverse business areas and better work together to share knowledge and resources to meet the needs of our growing city. I am committed to achieving this and acting on the vision identified in the recommendations in the better suburbs statement 2030 that has been delivered by our community for our community.

I take this opportunity to thank again each of the individual members of the forum and the government officials who dedicated considerable time and resources to supporting the forum and developing the statement. I also thank all members of the community who completed the survey or kitchen table guides, which also helped to inform the final statement.

I move:

That the Assembly take note of the ministerial statement.

Visitors

MADAM SPEAKER: Before I give members the call, we should recognise in the gallery a number of the Canberrans who have helped develop the better suburbs statement and participants in the citizens forum. Welcome to your Assembly.

Better suburbs 2030

MS LE COUTEUR (Murrumbidgee) (10.28): Firstly, I echo my thanks to the community, who have put so much time into making this statement happen. Deliberative democracy is something that the Greens have been pushing for for a very long time. It is part of the parliamentary agreement. I am very pleased that this is the third deliberative democracy exercise that the ACT government has done. I am looking forward to this being part of the way that we reinvigorate our democracy here in the ACT and spread this to the rest of Australia because, God knows, with the efforts elsewhere, clearly our democracy needs some help.

I think city services are a particularly good area in which to have a participatory democracy exercise. As you can see by looking at the statement, city services impact all of us every day in our lives. If we leave home, we are walking, riding or driving on city services. We are being lit by the street lights. The trees that shade us in the summer are city services.


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