Page 1045 - Week 04 - Thursday, 22 April 2021
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doubt you will be aware that the blue-green algae situation and the state of Lake Tuggeranong have been of concern for our shared constituents for a while now, and I am particularly excited to see this new funding.
I had the pleasure of joining Minister Rattenbury on the shores of Lake Tuggeranong to see the unfolding of the brand-new project. I met some of the community members and neighbours on the shores of Greenway who were very excited to see the lake clean-up project underway. Unlike my colleagues to my right, arbitrary targets like one million trees are not something that these ministers need to reach targets. In fact, as Minister Vassarotti highlighted to the house earlier this week, we are getting on with the job of increasing our tree canopy year on year. We are planting more trees. We are bringing down urban heat banks. We are making it cleaner, greener and more covered to live in Canberra. And the numbers bear that out, which is incredibly exciting.
I would like to endorse the amount of new spending in this budget, particularly in my electorate of Brindabella. As a Greens member for Brindabella, no doubt the environmental and water spending will always be something that tickles me pink and has me excited; so I am very glad to see that.
I would like to note for the house that, a few weeks ago, the minister for water challenged me to pull my finger out, get out with our beautiful community groups in Tuggeranong and do some planting. I would like to flag that the good people of the Friends of Tuggeranong Hill invited me to one of their planting projects. Needless to say, Madam Speaker—you have met me—it was a culture shock, but I very much enjoyed it. I use this opportunity to highlight for all members that you should get out and get your hands dirty.
The minister is right. The best way to fully understand what we are doing out there is to talk to those ParkCare volunteers, to talk to people who are actually getting out on the weekend and using the grants that have become available in this budget, and finding opportunities to improve the environment, water and land management in their suburbs. They are the experts, and they told me, as recently as last weekend, that they are delighted by the new spending. They are excited to see further opportunities to improve their volunteer work. I am really excited to support them in their efforts as they apply for new funding as a result of this budget.
MR CAIN (Ginninderra) (10.47): I will make some preliminary remarks, to start my presentation. Firstly, I am thrilled and a little bit daunted to have been given responsibility for planning and land management as one of my shadow portfolios. I am at the end of my second-week anniversary in this role and learning lots. In particular, I am being informed by my community as I go out to the shops and to door fronts.
It was interesting to hear Mr Gentleman refer to the wonderful bush capital. I wonder whether that was something he focused on in his previous term as planning minister or whether it is something that suddenly appeared to him as being worthy of promotion.
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