Page 1570 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 14 May 2019

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MADAM SPEAKER: I think she is on the policy area about the use and how it has been operating. I think the other questions are consistent with the budget outline. Minister, you have a minute left.

MS FITZHARRIS: I would refer to the Chief Minister’s previous answer and also note that steps are taken each year to ensure that all initiatives comply with the Financial Management Act. It has certainly been the case that there has been a long history with the Ngunnawal Bush Healing Farm and each step in the procurement, delivery and construction phases is subject to the normal processes of governing the way that the ACT government expends public funds.

MR MILLIGAN: Minister, why has the government not used the facility as an Indigenous-specific drug and alcohol residential rehabilitation facility?

MS FITZHARRIS: As I mentioned in my previous answers, the government is taking a number of steps to ensure that the bush healing farm can be a facility that meets the needs of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. To that end, Minister Stephen-Smith and I attended a very important workshop last month. That workshop was intended to bring a number of stakeholders together. Over 35 people participated in a full-day workshop. They included representatives of UNEC and of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body, ACT government staff, other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community leaders and the Healing Foundation. They came together at a workshop to discuss the future of the Ngunnawal Bush Healing Farm so that we can get on and provide residential services in the medium to long term, and the healing framework that will underpin not just the work of the Ngunnawal Bush Healing Farm but also a range of other initiatives undertaken across ACT government.

Light rail—environmental benefits

MS CHEYNE: My question is to the Minister for Environment and Heritage. Minister, what benefits does light rail bring to the environment?

MR GENTLEMAN: I thank Ms Cheyne for her important and timely question. It is often easy to forget that air pollution, including from cars, harms both human health and our environment. Unlike other countries, Australia has failed to clean up emissions from vehicles. Madam Speaker, thanks to this Liberal federal government, Australia has one of the least fuel efficient fleets in the world, even worse than Saudi Arabia. This is bad for both the environment and Canberrans. In contrast, this ACT Labor government is taking steps to help improve our bush capital and create better environmental outcomes while connecting more Canberrans to the city we all love.

Light rail for Canberra means improving our public transport system so that it becomes more convenient, efficient, affordable and reliable—a genuine alternative to driving. Light rail has a proven ability to attract development and investment opportunities that will help revitalise a transport corridor and city. It will bring environmental, social and community benefits to areas by increasing accessibility and


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