Page72 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 2 December 2020
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . 2020 Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Hanson, members should not be having conversations. Mr Rattenbury, please return to the question.
MR RATTENBURY: It has been a very productive partnership, which has seen a series of projects across the city which have been about improving the water flowing into our lakes and waterways and getting the sediment out of some areas, whether it be ponds in certain parts of Canberra or rain gardens and the like and the significant work that has been done in Lake Tuggeranong.
These projects have all been about improving the quality of the water and, as an upstream member of the Murray-Darling Basin community, making sure that water coming out of Canberra and flowing out into the system is as good a quality as we can ensure, as part of our contribution to improving the environmental outcomes for that system.
MR BRADDOCK: Minister, what works remain outstanding from the Healthy Waterways project?
MR RATTENBURY: There are still a number of projects that are underway. The project is funded through to June 2021, so there is still work being done, but all the projects that are part of that next phase of work are on track and on budget. I am confident that all of them—bar one project, which needs a little more work—will be handed over to Transport Canberra and City Services or the Parks and Conservation Service on schedule. There are a number of other projects that have been identified, and I am certainly of the view that we should seek to work with the commonwealth to get more money to help to continue to roll out those projects, because they are making a difference to our water quality and I know the community values those projects very strongly.
MR DAVIS: Minister, is the ACT government looking to partner with the Australian government to expand the Healthy Waterways project?
MR RATTENBURY: Yes. As I just alluded to, there were a range of other projects that were identified. When this was first scoped, the experts sat down and came up with a list. The priority projects in that list have been funded, but there are more good projects on that list. We are certainly keen to work with the Commonwealth government, through the Murray-Darling Basin scheme or through other water projects, in a partnership, to continue to improve water quality here in the ACT and to make sure that those community assets are in as good a shape as they can be.
Parking—Cooleman Court
MRS JONES: My question is to the Minister for Planning and Land Management. During the election campaign, Minister, your now cabinet colleague Ms Davidson circulated a flyer entitled “Save Cooleman Park”. In the flyer, Ms Davidson said, “The ACT government plans to turn Cooleman Park into a gravel car park”, “We cannot continue to destroy our green space” and “The Greens want Cooleman Park to be permanently protected as an open green space”. On 23 November the development
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . 2020 Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video