Page 3513 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 23 November 2021
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we are obviously going to get this motion passed today. I think it is really important for our habitat, for our healthy environment, for all of Canberra’s ecology and for a lot of our wildlife as well. It was lovely to hear an update from my colleague the Minister for the Environment, Minister Vassarotti, about all of the other works that have gone before this and the work that is ongoing, and also from my colleague Minister Steel.
This is part of an ongoing program in the ACT. The ACT government is actually on the front foot with a lot of this work. We have banned opera-house traps; we have secured long-term funding for ACT Wildlife and for our wildlife carers and volunteers—and that was a really welcome piece of news for them—so that they no longer have to be in that constant grant cycle. We have got a lot of education campaigns on foot, and I think it is really important when we are bringing in new measures that we do take the time to do the consultation and make sure that we get it right.
I have done that; I have had a chat to my ministerial colleagues; I have had a chat to ACT Wildlife. I have included in this motion that we do some community consultation because what we do not want to do is rush in some law that does not do what it is meant to do, that maybe has unintended consequences, that maybe breaches some of our commonwealth obligations. It is not a good idea to bring it in too quickly.
I have set a time line on this motion that is a realistic time line that we can achieve. It sounds like we are probably going to get quite a lot of the measures ahead of January 2023, and I think that is fantastic. I am really looking forward to hearing some updates about that. I have just set a time line that is realistic for our forward legislative development, to make sure that we are doing that work properly, and I think it is not a good idea to be too hasty on these things. We need to get it right, rather than get it fast.
I am really pleased to hear that the Canberra Liberals do not oppose this motion. That is great to hear. I have had a look at the amendment circulated by Ms Castley, and I am actually really happy to support 1 to 3 and 5 to 6. The only one that we will have a problem with is No 4 because that is the one that would rush through legislation before it has been properly developed. We may well get that legislation earlier but we cannot guarantee it, and we need to make sure that we are going through the correct process to do the job properly.
I commend my motion, as amended by Ms Castley, but I am proposing that, pursuant to standing order 133, we divide the question and look at those amendments in separate parts so that we can decide on separate parts, and which of those should pass and which of those should not.
Ordered that the question be divided.
Amendments 1 to 3 agreed to.
Amendment 4.
Question put:
That amendment 4 be agreed to.
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