Page 3209 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 18 October 2022
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MS CHEYNE: I am not sure that it does send a message to the multicultural community. I have recognised that across the ACT public service, there is work to ensure that we do have diversity reflected at all levels of government. That extends not only to our culturally and linguistically diverse community but also across all levels of diversity.
We will certainly take this message that the opposition is giving today and further interrogate those figures, together with my ministerial colleagues.
Waste—green waste services relocation
MS CLAY: My question is to the minister for city services. Minister, it is important for Belconnen residents and those living in the outer north to have access to a green waste recycling site, but some people were concerned about the proposed site off Stockdill Drive. There was comment that it might be inappropriate due to traffic impacts on Stockdill Drive, bushfire risks, environmental run-off and various other concerns. The original DA was refused on a number of grounds, including some of these concerns. Can you tell us where the new DA is up to?
MR STEEL: I thank the member for her question. I was asked a question about this on 21 September by Mr Cain, and I can repeat what I said in the chamber in relation to that, which is that we are continuing to work through the issues that have been raised by the independent ACT planning and land authority in the planning process. We will continue to work through the planning system to deliver a green waste facility for Belconnen. We are working through those issues before resubmitting a development application.
In the preamble to Ms Clay’s question, she referred to the particular site that we have chose in west Belconnen, which is block 1582. The ACT government has been undertaking a significant amount of preparation and planning around future sites for waste-type facilities in the north of Canberra. With the growth of the city, there are very few sites that are suitable for these types of facilities in the north of Canberra. This was chosen as the preferred site based on that expert analysis that had been undertaken. In fact two other sites that were also identified as part of that and which were deemed to be not suitable are both located adjacent to this site, east and west of block 1582. So you are seeing that there are not a huge number of sites around the place that are suitable.
In order to provide the services that Canberrans, including those who live in Ginninderry and west Belconnen, expect, we do need to have these types of facilities available for green waste drop-off. That is why we are committed to delivering this facility and working through the planning system to address the issues that have been raised, which include issues around bushfire risk mitigation, traffic management and other impacts. (Time expired.)
MS CLAY: Are alternative sites under consideration or is it just the one block that is under consideration?
MR STEEL: I thank the member for her question. The government has determined that this block is the preferred site, based on the planning work that had been done in
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