Page 2996 - Week 14 - Tuesday, 5 December 1989
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heritage register. This register itself will become part of the Territory plan.
In terms of planning, the Government has released a consultation paper and drafting instructions for integrated planning, environment and heritage legislation. This legislation will ensure that the people of Canberra have a say in the way in which their city grows and is protected. I can assure the people of Canberra that this planning legislation will not be used to facilitate the development of office blocks down to the foreshores of Lake Burley Griffin.
What I have just discussed is no mere list of achievements; it is a list of unbroken commitments. It is a clear indication that this Government has been implementing the objectives that I stated on 11 May. Our program in government should have come as no surprise to anyone here. We have implemented, or are implementing, everything which I told you on that day. We have a clearly stated agenda for Canberra. The people of Canberra know what we stand for.
The most fundamental issue confronting the ACT at the moment, however, is the transition to State-type funding arrangements. The achievement of a smooth transition is essential. The ACT cannot afford sharp financial shocks. A planned, open process is the only way the adjustment can be achieved while maintaining Canberra in the way we want it. The ACT budget - my budget - which was passed by this Assembly just two weeks ago begins that process. It provides for a balanced recurrent budget, a sound basis for the future economic management of the ACT.
The budget provides a $10m first step towards reducing the overfunding identified by the Grants Commission. This is a significant move but the process will need to continue for a number of years. My budget has begun the process in a balanced way by a mixture of expenditure reductions and revenue increases, by spreading the burden of financial adjustment equitably and acting in tune with the needs of the ACT economy. There have been no sharp reductions in services or severe increases in taxation. We are not interested in massive disruption to Canberra for the sake of a quick budgetary fix. Change needs to be planned and certain. The Government has been looking to the future.
In the budget I announced a number of restructuring proposals designed to provide substantial recurrent savings. Since then, negotiations between the Prime Minister and me have led to the release of $7m from the Commonwealth-ACT transitional funding trust account. These funds will be used for a number of restructuring proposals which will generate recurrent annual savings of $2.5m. This is our approach to financial adjustment in the ACT. We do not support shock treatment. It is not the way of our Government to slash public expenditure or to claim that bureaucrats do not deliver the goods and should be sacked.
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