Page 694 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 28 March 2006
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key regional issues through developing more structured arrangements for regional cooperation.
Canberrans have noticed that our city is undergoing something of a building boom, with about $3 billion worth of construction work under way or currently planned in the city. In Civic alone these projects combined will deliver, amongst other things, new retail facilities, a cinema complex, first-class student accommodation to connect the ANU to City west, multi-storey office accommodation, a new library and theatre link and an upgraded convention centre.
It worries me when I read that people say Civic is dying. Civic has never seen a boom like this. Cranes dot the skyline and there are many hundreds of construction jobs involved. Civic is not dying; it is thriving. But we recognise there is much still to be done and we remain committed to playing a strong leadership role. Certainly the debate over the past 12 months on the future development of Civic shows the importance that the community places on it as the centre of Canberra. The development of the ANU City west precinct is now secured over the next decade. That will be a significant link between the ANU and the city. On completion it will transform the character of city west into a dynamic mix of land uses and activities.
Over the past months Canberrans have shown their true party spirit with excellent attendance at various events, including the lighting of the Canberra Christmas tree, New Year in the City, Australia Day celebrations and the recent Celebrate in the Park activities sponsored by ACTTAB, which attracted in the order of 30,000 people.
In planning for the ACT’s longer-term urban development we must be committed to containing the outward spread of Canberra. Living with the environment, the seventh theme within the Canberra plan, reflects Canberrans’ desire to further develop our capacity to live with, rather than in opposition to, our environment and to use our resources efficiently. As members are aware, development within the Molonglo Valley currently presents as our best longer-term development option, as it is close to existing services and employment centres. These are significant factors influencing the ecological footprint of urban Canberra.
As electricity accounts for more than 60 per cent of the ACT’s greenhouse emissions, it is crucial to set an example by demanding that suppliers seek out green energy sources, and that is why we recently announced a new contract with ActewAGL to supply electricity to ACT government departments with approximately a quarter of that power derived from green sources. That is easily the biggest commitment of any state or territory government to green power, with the exception, of course, of Tasmania. If every one of us demanded clean green energy, the incentive for industry to invest in renewable energy research would be far greater.
The government is also leading the nation in the use of electric-petrol or hybrid vehicles, having recently purchased a further 27 hybrid vehicles for the passenger fleet. We are actively encouraging householders to invest in energy efficient home improvements through our ACT energy wise program. Indeed, in October last year we introduced legislation to ensure new standards and efficiency labelling requirements that inform household purchasers in relation to minimum household water use.
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