Page 3414 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 11 October 1994
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MRS GRASSBY (3.53): Madam Speaker, I rise to speak on this important matter of public importance. As my colleague Mr Berry has explained, Canberra's open space system is really unique to Australia. It is only when people come to Canberra that they realise just how unique it is. Canberra is truly the bush capital because the open space areas are an integral part of the design and operation of the city as well as a vital part of its character. I think there is not a person here who would not agree with that. The natural places of the ACT are aspects which increasingly will become nationally and internationally known as a feature of this city.
Namadgi now extends over the entire southern half of the Australian Capital Territory. It does take up a very large area, but it is a very beautiful area. All of the snow-capped mountains which provide the western backdrop to the city are in either Namadgi National Park or the adjoining Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, which is managed in sympathy with Namadgi. I am sure that any of us who have spent time in the Tidbinbilla area realise how lucky we are to have this. These places will become an important focus for ecotourism in the Territory and will make an important contribution to the ability of this Territory to market itself as a tourist destination. We all know how Japanese tourists just love wide open spaces. Anybody who has been to Japan realises just how little space there is. So, when they come to Canberra, that is one of the things they notice and love. As we seek to build upon this attraction of Canberra to international visitors, Namadgi will play a significant role. Unlike many of the national parks in Australia, Namadgi offers visitors a chance to experience the Australian bush relatively quickly and while still being able to take advantage of the services of a major city. The range of landscape and wildlife available in Namadgi will add to this attraction.
Namadgi is special to the people of Canberra because of its qualities of remoteness and undisturbed nature. Canberra Nature Park also provides close access for the people of urban Canberra to experience solitude and the opportunity to study wildlife. You have to go quite a distance in Sydney and battle with traffic to do all this. It is the same in Melbourne and most capital cities. We are just so lucky to have it virtually at our own back door, and all visitors who come here feel that. When snowfalls blanket the mountains of Namadgi, it provides a spectacular backdrop to our national capital. We all noticed that just two weeks ago when we woke up to see snow. Only the other day we woke up to see snow capping all the mountains. The inner hills of Canberra's Nature Park provide the natural landscape setting which gives Canberra its bush capital identity.
It is clear that the role identified for Namadgi from the earliest days of Canberra, as a breathing space for our community, is becoming more and more important. Canberrans are increasingly visiting Namadgi and taking advantage of the recreational opportunities it offers. Visitor numbers have increased by an average of 10 per cent each year since 1990. The growing interest in ecotourism and understanding of the environment will ensure that this increase continues. The concentrated flowering of wildflowers is amongst the most dramatic in the region, and this attracts many people. People travel to Western Australia to see the wildflowers when they are in bloom, and there are people who come to Canberra to see the wonderful wildflowers that we provide in the spring.
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