Page 593 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 30 March 2021
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MADAM SPEAKER: You are about to be warned, Mr Parton, because I have asked you to stop. Mr Davis, you have the call for the supplementary.
MR DAVIS: Minister, what accountability measures will the government implement and impose upon itself to ensure that the community’s expected tree canopy coverage is met?
MR STEEL: I thank Mr Davis for his question. The ACT government, in the Urban Forest Strategy, will provide a community update on an annual basis in relation to the actions undertaken under the plan. We are also committed to five-yearly updated LiDAR data to evaluate how the canopy is growing. It does take some time for different tree species to grow, and we need to evaluate that over that period. We look forward to updating the Assembly as the work on the Urban Forest Strategy progresses. An important part of the strategy is to protect existing trees, as well as planting out the canopy. We also want to work with the community to involve them in growing and maintaining the urban forest.
Women—International Women’s Day
MS ORR: My question is to the Minister for Women. Minister, it has been a momentous International Women’s Day this year. Can you please update the Assembly on some of the activities that occurred to mark the occasion?
Mrs Jones: Do we have enough time?
MS BERRY: That is certainly a very good question, Mrs Jones. I thank Ms Orr for her question. The celebrations this year have extended way beyond a day, as they should every year, to celebrate International Women’s Day. This year I want to pay particular attention to women working on the frontline, the hardworking women who got us through this international health pandemic. I refer to those women from the United Workers Union that I had a gathering with in my office to understand the experiences that they had during the international health pandemic, working across cleaning, hospitality and other women’s services industries to keep the community going.
Importantly, it was also an opportunity to present the ACT Women’s Awards. The ACT Woman of the Year was Sonam Choden, who migrated from Bhutan, so English is not her first language. Sonam has worked at Calvary Public Hospital for four years and during the pandemic she led her colleagues at Calvary to achieve secure jobs and fair wages.
I also want to celebrate the ACT Senior Woman of the Year, Liz Stephens, who has made an outstanding contribution to improving the lives of queer women through her organisation and coordination of events, as well as bringing together the community via her work in Diversity ACT.
The ACT Young Woman of the Year, Dhani Gilbert, is a proud Wiradjuri woman who is focused on achieving just and sustainable outcomes for country, community and young people. Dhani furthers community discussions about the importance of our environment and the need to address climate change.
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