Page 615 - Week 02 - Thursday, 14 February 2013
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mix that this territory requires. The important principle here is to ensure that, where there is uplift in value, when a lease becomes more valuable as a result of enhanced development rights, some of that increased value is captured for the community and reinvested in community assets.
Mr Smyth: Point of order, Madam Speaker.
MADAM SPEAKER: Yes.
Mr Smyth: The minister has been going for almost half the time he has allotted. He has not answered the question. The question was very specific: has he done a review since its inception and will he release the review?
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Barr, it is a direct question.
MR BARR: Indeed. We review taxation lines as part of the annual budget process, and I will have more to say on that in the budget later in the year.
MADAM SPEAKER: Supplementary question, Ms Porter.
MS PORTER: Can the minister inform the Assembly whether the red tape effort is being applied to other sectors in the community?
MR BARR: It is fortuitous that as Minister for Community Services I am now overseeing a significant red tape reduction task within the community sector. There is a community sector red tape reduction forum, and this forum will provide a valuable opportunity for the sector to provide direct feedback to the government on the variety of issues and compliance issues that they face.
I am sure that members would be aware that most community sector organisations in the territory are in receipt of funding from two levels of government, from the commonwealth as well as the territory. We are working with the commonwealth government to streamline reporting requirements and to ensure that, as much as is possible, there is consistency between the reporting requirements of the federal government and the reporting requirements of the territory government—noting, of course, that we are often providing funding for different purposes.
We are looking at procurement within the community sector, looking at ways to assist the sector to minimise their administrative costs so that more of the $150Â million a year that the ACT government invests in community sector organisations can be spent on the distinct purposes that the government is providing that grant funding for, and that is to improve community wellbeing.
The smaller the amount of that grant money that is spent on administration, the better. We will be working in partnership with the sector on reducing red tape and ensuring that the benefits of that investment go to the community.
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