Page 736 - Week 03 - Thursday, 2 April 2020
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The response read as follows:
Dear Mr Duncan
Thank you for your letter of 26 November 2019 regarding petitions number
23-19 and 30-19 lodged by Ms Caroline Le Couteur MLA seeking action on transport measures to reduce carbon emissions across the ACT.
I am pleased to inform members and the community on what the Government is doing to continuously improve on our transport outcomes including reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transport in the ACT.
At the outset, I would like to highlight that the ACT Government is continually exploring ways to reduce carbon emissions from all responsible sectors in the ACT, not just emissions arising from transport. Our Climate Change Strategy 2019-2025 outlines the next steps that we all, including our community, businesses and Government, can take as a collective to reduce the Territory’s carbon footprint.
The Transport for Canberra 2012-31 strategy supported the ACT Government in proactively meeting the City’s transport needs. It supported the continued investment in Canberra’s strategic road network, active travel network and public transport as well as the introduction of light rail in 2019, which has enabled Canberra to meet increasing demand and retain improve outcomes.
However, Canberra is going through considerable growth and change, so too is the transport sector. I am pleased to inform you that I have asked Transport Canberra and City Services to renew and finalise a transport strategy alongside the ACT Planning Strategy 2018 and the ACT Climate Change Strategy
2019-2025. This is in recognition of the changing demands relationship between these three strategies.
The importance of transport in supporting a vibrant, liveable and zero emission city is critical to our success. This united approach will ensure our transport network complements the renewal and strengthening of inner precincts and suburbs as well as supporting the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions created through transport.
The forthcoming Transport Strategy will renew the ACT Government’s focus on better coordinating land use and transport planning, which in turn will better inform our investment choices to meet the transport needs of Canberrans and address the current climate emergency.
The petitioners’ have requested that the Assembly request the Government of the Territory to take several actions, to which I provide the following responses:
Setting legislated transport targets
In the ACT, we have set some of the most ambitious targets in the country to tackle climate emergency. Our Climate Change Strategy legislated targets and establishes a pathway for achieving net zero emissions by 2045. To support this, the ACT Government is working in concert and would like the support of the community and businesses.
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