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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 7 Hansard (26 June) . . Page.. 2358 ..

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Property Management Agreements are critical to achieve off-reserve environmental conservation objectives in a cost-effective and equitable manner. The Government will review the Property Management Agreement process in the light of the Rural Task Force's final report.

While leased rural land comprises the bulk of non-urban land outside the reserve system, members will be aware that the Commonwealth Government also is a substantial landholder in the ACT. Many of its properties contain undeveloped land of significant conservation value. Collaboration in the identification and management of values present is a logical and cost-effective way to achieve conservation goals.

I take this opportunity to acknowledge the cooperation and goodwill of those responsible for management of these areas. However, in the interests of longer term certainty, bilateral arrangements for agreed conservation measures need to be put on a firmer footing as a component of an overall ACT conservation strategy.

To this end I will be approaching the Commonwealth with a view to developing Memoranda of Understanding for conservation of the more significant natural assets of the Territory that occur on Commonwealth land. In this context, I welcome a recent announcement by the Commonwealth Minister for Territories that a special contact point for ACT matters will be established within his portfolio. I anticipate that this initiative will prove a valuable aid for addressing matters such as these.

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