Page 2892 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 29 June 2011
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are looking at this matter through the prism of land management per se rather than nature conversation and biodiversity.
Although I can see arguments on both sides and it is not a simple, black-and-white issue, I think that there is much merit in the position put forward by the estimates committee and by those in this place today in relation to the motion moved by Mr Smyth earlier today on the bushfire unit. There are issues about where rangers and these highly skilled staff are best placed. I think there is a very strong argument for them being placed in the sustainability directorate rather than in TAMS. (Second speaking period taken.)
The focus of TAMS is about land management, simpliciter. I think that the focus of the Environment and Sustainable Development Directorate is more about biodiversity. I agree with Mr Rattenbury’s comments that the highly trained, professional rangers will have a great input not only to on-the-ground works but to policy formulation and that there is a logical synergy in putting all of those people in close proximity to the conservator. Remarks about the conservator are for another line of appropriation.
In relation to the TAMS appropriation, there are some big issues that we need to watch here in relation to animal welfare and land management, and we will be watching them closely. The issue of pest plants and animals is an area that I am particularly concerned about. I think that we have not achieved well over the last few years in this area. Quite simply, this is because it has not been resourced to an appropriate level and in a consistent way by the Stanhope Labor government and it is not continuing under Chief Minister Gallagher.
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development, Minister for Territory and Municipal Services and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (8.01): This is a good budget for Territory and Municipal Services and the territory. There is $527 million for the administration of Canberra’s municipal infrastructure and delivering essential services to the community to maintain and improve the city’s urban amenity.
I would like to touch on a couple of areas of particular focus in the budget. And the first is in relation to transport. Transport is a very important component of the allocation in the Territory and Municipal Services portfolio and a very significant investment is occurring in relation to public transport. First of all, there is $10 million over the next four years additional to the ACTION budget to improve bus services in the growing area of Gungahlin, in the inner north of the city, in Fyshwick, in Kippax and to the Canberra Hospital. There will be more buses more often, and better frequencies as a result of that investment.
Further, additional funding is being made available to improve the amount of information and the reliability of information that Canberrans can receive about their bus services. I have always been a strong advocate of the delivery of more timely, up-to-date information about where buses are so that people can plan their journeys with a greater level of certainty. So $2.1 million is being made available to ensure that we can now deliver a real-time bus information system for the city.
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