Page 855 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 20 April 2021
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The RMIT research team have passed this corrected data to Monash University and to the Australian Conservation Foundation, who in turn have updated and reissued their report, and I have provided a link in the written response.
I thank Mr Parton and Ms Castley for drawing this report to my attention and allowing the public record to be corrected. The ACT government is accurately measuring our urban vegetation cover. By using light detection and ranging satellite imagery, we ensure that we are not counting the beautiful native bushland that surrounds our capital but instead focusing on tree canopy in our urban areas. This means we can target the suburbs where Canberrans are most in need of more trees.
Planting trees is a crucial action we are taking in implementing Canberra’s living infrastructure plan to reduce urban heat islands and make sure that Canberra is a more living city under a changing climate. We are planting 54,000 trees in Canberra between 2020-21 and 2023-24 to contribute to the 30 per cent canopy cover for Canberra’s urban footprint and to increase biodiversity in our city. We are also trialling innovative solutions for planting advanced trees by using water passively from street run-off and increasing permeable surfaces across our suburbs.
The government is committed to ensuring that Canberra retains its unique character as the bush capital and is recognised as an outstanding example of a livable and resilient city in a changing climate. Planting and maintaining our urban canopy will keep Canberrans cool, provide shade and beauty to our city and provide more habitat for the native birds and animals we all treasure. Thank you for the opportunity to correct the record.
Housing—City Renewal Authority
MR GENTLEMAN: My response is to the question asked by Mr Cain and Ms Lee in regard to City Renewal Authority employees. The proponent’s conflict of interest declaration was approved by the CEO of the City Renewal Authority in May 2018 as a part of the expression of interest for the demonstration housing project. A conflict of interest declaration was approved on the basis that the demonstration housing project is not related to any City Renewal Authority work and that the staff member would exclude herself from any involvement in the assessment process if it was.
The ACT Public Service Code of Conduct requires employees to notify management if a potential conflict of interest may arise so that appropriate safeguards can be put in place. In the last 12 months, 50 conflict of interest declarations have been recorded by the Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate, the Suburban Land Agency and the City Renewal Authority.
Most ACT public service employees live in Canberra and are members of the community and may submit planning applications in the ACT. These applications are assessed by the independent ACT planning and land authority, which follows processes in its considerations and determinations. The ACT government widely communicated the opportunity to be part of the demonstration housing project, which was open to everyone in the Canberra community. The questions once again show the
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