Page 738 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 31 March 2021
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Our commitment to increased urban density needs to be balanced with green integration of city and environment, green spaces and trees. We need to respect our natural environments. Our tree-lined suburbs are not here by accident; they are here through careful planning through Canberra’s history.
This government is continuing that legacy and improving our tree coverage. The government is seeking to increase tree coverage on private blocks, which is why we have been working at the Territory Plan variation level to have more living infrastructure—trees, grass and shrubs.
However, it is not just our private blocks that need trees. Our public streets, our verges and our parks all have a role to play, as my colleague Minister Steel has outlined. The ACT government is committed to ensuring that we will play our part in increasing the tree canopy.
MR BRADDOCK (Yerrabi) (4.26), in reply: I would like to thank Minister Steel, Minister Gentleman and Ms Castley for their words and their support for trees in the urban landscape. I thank all parties here for their support of this motion.
I agree with Minister Steel that there has been a large increase in the number of trees being planted, and I thank the government for that. I look forward to working with the government to determine whether that is enough to achieve our 30 per cent canopy cover target by 2045. I also recognise that the long-term nature of that goal requires regular reporting to track progress and change where necessary.
I am bringing on this motion because that is such an ambitious goal. Gungahlin’s tree canopy cover is currently four per cent. We have a long way to go and we must act now. When I am old, retired and perhaps even a grandfather, I want to be able to walk in the cool shade of the trees in Gungahlin. That is why I have moved this motion.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Crimes Legislation Amendment Bill 2020
Debate resumed from 3 December 2020, on motion by Mr Rattenbury:
That this bill be agreed to in principle.
MR CAIN (Ginninderra) (4.28): I would like to start by thanking the Attorney-General for responding to concerns raised by me and the shadow attorney-general in line with the Standing Committee on Justice and Community Safety’s scrutiny report No 2. The Canberra Liberals support the amendments proposed by the Attorney-General to the Crimes Legislation Amendment Bill 2020 pertaining to the Bail Act 1992.
The inclusion of a provision for an accused person to nominate their preferred way to receive service of notice is a necessary improvement to the act. Regarding the other aspects of the bill, I understand that, through the JACS committee inquiry into
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