Page 6015 - Week 14 - Wednesday, 8 December 2010
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together the mayors and the general managers of the 17 local councils in the capital region, state and federal members of parliament with seats in the region and representatives of the Regional Development Australia boards in the region.
I also meet regularly with the Mayor of Queanbeyan to discuss issues affecting Canberra and Queanbeyan. These meetings provide an excellent opportunity to discuss specific issues. My last meeting with the mayor was last Wednesday. And, of course, I am available to meet the mayors of other local councils in the region on matters of mutual interest, although most issues to date have progressed through the regular Regional Leaders Forum meetings. At that meeting last week, the first and most significant agenda item of discussion was a presentation by me to the mayor, again, on the reasons why the ACT does not support the development of south Tralee, a position which I have put to the Mayor of Queanbeyan, I think, at every single meeting that I have had with him.
Notwithstanding our opposition, the ACT government has been working constructively with Queanbeyan City Council for a number of years on the necessary road infrastructure and connections arising for the proposed Tralee development, including traffic studies and modelling.
This work is now being progressed through the urban development working group of the eastern regional transport task force. The establishment of the task force was agreed in principle on 26 March 2010 by the New South Wales minister for primary industries, the Hon Steve Whan; the Queanbeyan Mayor, Tim Overall; and me.
These arrangements are just a few of the myriad cooperative arrangements that the ACT government has in place across our portfolio areas. We have similar arrangements in all major policy areas of government.
In concluding, in the context of Mr Rattenbury’s motion—much of which the ACT government and the Labor Party are happy to agree to and support—I would like to confirm that the ACT government has for many years been opposed to residential development at south Tralee and has repeated that position consistently. However, ultimately, approval will be a matter for the New South Wales government. I can confirm that the ACT government recognises the benefits that Canberra airport brings to the local community and economy. I can confirm that the ACT government will continue to be actively involved in relation to the operation of the Canberra airport and issues of aircraft flight paths and aircraft noise. These matters are principally the responsibility of the Australian government, but the ACT government has never missed an opportunity to be involved in the planning and approval regimes that apply to the Canberra airport. And I can confirm that the ACT government will remain active to ensure that the ACT community is afforded adequate protection from aircraft noise.
I did want to put on the record, in the context of Mr Rattenbury’s motion, the fact that the ACT government has been incredibly active and consistent in relation to the issues that Mr Rattenbury raises as issues of concern. It is in that context that the government has no real difficulty in the sentiment. We support it; it is a position that we put consistently. We are very pleased to join with Mr Rattenbury in seeking
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