Page 3119 - Week 10 - Thursday, 18 October 2007
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
15 October 2007, together with a dissenting report and a copy of the extracts of the relevant minutes of proceedings.
I seek leave to move a motion authorising the report for publication.
Leave granted.
MR GENTLEMAN: I move:
That the report be authorised for publication.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
MR GENTLEMAN: I move:
That the report be noted.
I am pleased to advise the Assembly that, having inquired into the proposed nomination of the ACT as a UNESCO biosphere reserve, the Standing Committee on Planning and Environment recommends that the nomination proceed, with a nomination document being lodged with UNESCO by December 2008. The committee also recommends that the ACT government develop and implement an effective communication and consultation strategy. One aim would be to secure support for the proposed nomination from stakeholders such as the traditional owners in the ACT, the Ngunnawal people, and also young people and the broader community. This is because the committee appreciates that there are still highly variable levels of understanding about biosphere reserves in the ACT community.
Biosphere reserves are areas recognised as such by the international coordinating council of UNESCO’s man and the biosphere program. UNESCO, as members would know, is a specialised agency of the United Nations. Its main aim is to promote world peace and security through education, science, culture and communication. The functions of a biosphere reserve are to foster sustainable economic and human development; to support demonstration projects, environmental education and training and scientific research and monitoring; and to contribute to the conservation of genetic resources, species, ecosystems and landscapes.
The committee supports the nomination and listing for various reasons. Biosphere reserves recognise landscape scale land use planning, which helps to sustain ecosystem services and ecosystem resilience under climate change. The committee agrees with stakeholders that the Griffin vision for a sustainable Canberra, and Canberra’s modern urban planning, warrants international recognition. The committee sees the process for nominating and implementing the biosphere reserve as a vehicle for encouraging Canberra to become a more sustainable city. This is also one of the key motivations for the proposed nomination that many stakeholders identified. A nomination and listing may stimulate behavioural change and help to grow the educational institutions, agencies and companies working on sustainability issues in the region.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .