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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 03 Hansard (Wednesday, 10 March 2004) . . Page.. 991 ..

ACT Labor recognises the importance of acting to conserve and protect land which has important environmental values. Labor believes that a number of sites—

and this is the important bit—

including Conder 4A and North Watson Woodlands, should be considered for inclusion in the Canberra Nature Park.

In July 2002, Friends of Grasslands wrote to Mr Corbell as Minister for Planning asking for consideration of the matter of Conder 4A. He replied saying that a decision would be made following completion of the review of action plan 10, which was about yellow box/red gum grassy woodland. In November 2003, Friends of Grasslands then wrote to the Minister for the Environment, Mr Stanhope, urging the government to place Conder 4A into Canberra Nature Park. I pay credit to local resident Mr Michael Bedingfield who has been pushing almost everybody he comes in contact with to have that area preserved as part of the nature park.

Along with quite a number of people I have been asking for the preservation of this area for some time. I know that it has been a personal commitment of the current Minister for Planning. He is delighted that this area is to be preserved as part of the nature park. What needs to happen is a bit of a mind picture: the Canberra Nature Park will go seamlessly down to Tom Roberts with wetlands going into grassy areas into the woodland and into the nature park. This part of Conder 4A expands that by about eight hectares and makes it a particularly valuable tract of land.

During 2003, Environment ACT prepared a draft lowland woodland conservation strategy—action plan 27—for public comment. The strategy included a review of action plan 10 and a reassessment of the ACT’s remnant woodlands, including areas that were not protected in reserves. In this scenario we have had quite a number of people speaking. It is a real case of one person screaming into the wind and making absolutely no difference at all. But we have had a number of people whispering quietly together and their voice being heard by this government, which goes to show the power of the people. They didn’t want any building to take place on a piece of nature park and asked the government to protect it forever—and this government has done just that.

Following completion of the draft lowland woodland conservation strategy and consideration of public comment on it, the Chief Minister and the Minister for the Environment announced that the government would progress the inclusion of the moratorium land at Conder 4A into the Canberra Nature Park. That is fantastic news.

Protecting the Conder 4A woodland builds on the government’s 2003 decision to establish new woodland nature reserves at Gooroo in East Gungahlin and at Callum Brae in Jerrabomberra Valley, which, I remind members, would have had a prison on it had it not been for the actions of this government when in opposition. It is going to be protected forever by this government when it assumes its appropriate role on the treasury bench. That protection has not been missed by the people that live in Red Hill and Symonston. As a result of this, over 1,000 hectares of yellow box/red gum grassy woodland and other woodlands will be added to the ACT’s nature reserve estate.

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