Page 612 - Week 02 - Thursday, 14 February 2013
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
MR CORBELL: Obviously decisions about commonwealth programs are a matter for the commonwealth. What the government is doing in relation to issues around water quality in Lake Tuggeranong is focusing on the capacity to include measures to improve water quality and catchment management in the Tuggeranong valley through our negotiations over the $80 million allocation of funding that the commonwealth has notionally set aside for us as part of the Murray-Darling Basin plan agreement. This $80 million is subject to the development of an agreed business case on a range of measures across the ACT to improve catchment management. I will be working to ensure that the Tuggeranong valley and issues such as water quality in Lake Tuggeranong and the tributaries that run into it are addressed and, hopefully, subject to an appropriate and viable business case, included in the funding agreement we reach with the commonwealth for that $80 million.
MADAM SPEAKER: Supplementary question, Mr Seselja.
MR SESELJA: Minister, what issues did you highlight to your federal counterpart regarding Lake Tuggeranong?
MR CORBELL: My discussions with the federal minister, Minister Burke, are in relation to catchment management issues across the ACT, recognising that there are a range of water quality issues across the ACT. We will be pursuing improvement and rectification of those issues through the process I outlined in my answer to the previous question.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Smyth.
MR SMYTH: Minister, were you aware that Tuggeranong was not included as one of the target areas for these programs?
MR CORBELL: Yes.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Smyth.
MR SMYTH: Minister, are you aware that all of Canberra is not included as a target area for these grants, and what have you done about it?
MR CORBELL: Yes, Madam Speaker, and I refer Mr Smyth to my previous answers. Decisions about where the commonwealth deploys its resources through its own grants programs are a matter for the commonwealth. But what we have on the table as a result of the hard work that this government has put in is agreement from the commonwealth for $80 million of commonwealth money for the territory to improve catchment management across the territory. That is a very significant commitment from Minister Burke and the commonwealth government, and we are now focused on developing the business case, which is the necessary process that we have agreed we will put in place, to demonstrate the efficacy of the financing available under that $80 million package to deliver improved catchment management across the ACT.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video