Page 1680 - Week 06 - Thursday, 20 May 1993
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CANBERRA IN THE YEAR 2020 STUDY
Ministerial Statement and Paper
MS FOLLETT (Chief Minister and Treasurer) (3.15): Madam Speaker, I ask for leave of the Assembly to make a ministerial statement on the third quarterly progress report on the Canberra in the Year 2020 study.
Leave granted.
MS FOLLETT: Madam Speaker, on 20 August 1992 the Assembly initiated a study to "Inquire into and report on strategic planning in the ACT addressing the key question 'What should Canberra be like in the year 2020?'". The motion requires the Government to provide quarterly reports on the progress of the study to the Assembly, with a final report on the first sitting day of August 1993. The third stage of the study has focused on building community awareness of the study and on gaining the views and aspirations of the community for Canberra in the next century. The second stage progress report and the issues papers prepared by ACT government agencies which were tabled with that report have been widely circulated to inform the community of the study and to stimulate discussion of the key issues.
To provide the opportunity for more detailed community input, the Government established the Canberra in the Year 2020 Reference Group in early April. The reference group is intended to provide the main avenue for community consultation during the study. The reference group is chaired by Dr Peter Ellyard, the executive director of Preferred Futures and the former director of Australia's Commission for the Future. Members of the group are drawn from a wide range of community interests, and form a multifaceted and talented group to help the Government with the study. Since its formation, the reference group has initiated a series of processes to meet the group's terms of reference as set out in the second stage report, including the achievement of a substantial degree of community input to the study.
The reference group initially considered the issues papers prepared by ACT government agencies, met with agency coordinators responsible for the preparation of the issues papers, and passed on their comments regarding the papers. The reference group then embarked on a series of meetings with representatives of over 50 community groups concerned with a wide range of community interests. These meetings informed the representatives of the work of the reference group and provided participants with the opportunity to have their views of Canberra in the Year 2020 included in the study. I understand that these meetings have been very successful and that they have provided positive contributions for the reference group. I am pleased that the Canberra community has responded positively to this exciting and challenging study. The University of Canberra has been particularly cooperative to the reference group by providing computing and video facilities to assist them with their task.
Madam Speaker, it was anticipated that the tabling of this report would signal the completion of the consultation stage. However, the reference group believes that the study will benefit from further opportunities for community input, and their consultations will now continue into June. I understand that the group will consult within their own networks and undertake further meetings with
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