Page 2750 - Week 09 - Thursday, 8 August 2013
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The ACT government will consider ways to support the provision of environmental and sustainability education to the ACT’s ecotourists, including the training of ACT ecotourism providers to deliver this education. And as I mentioned earlier, the partnership with Conservation Volunteers Australia delivers a number of education programs, including professional development through the volunteer interpreter program and the discover our wild side program, which enable visitors to discover Tidbinbilla’s leading role in breeding the critically endangered brush-tailed rock wallaby and the northern corroboree frog.
The development of the centenary trail and the recent opening of the National Arboretum will provide new opportunities for the provision of interactive educational experiences for visitors, while the role of traditional owners in showcasing their country will also be considered.
Finally, consideration will be given to creating a new nature park in the northern part of the ACT in order to conserve local woodland and environments and expand the ACT’s nature park assets. It will be important to make an informed decision in considering this recommendation, including canvassing all of the relevant issues such as legislation, biodiversity values, management implications and planning.
I will close this afternoon by reinforcing that the tourism industry currently contributes $1.65 billion to the territory economy and is one of the territory’s largest private sector employers, supporting 16,000 of our record 211,600 jobs, The potential for ecotourism in the ACT not only provides the capacity to grow the value of tourism to the economy but also, and importantly, provides the opportunity to achieve tangible social and environmental results for the territory. I commend the government’s response to the Assembly.
Debate (on motion by Mr Smyth) adjourned to the next sitting.
Papers
Mr Corbell presented the following papers:
Electoral Act, pursuant to subsection 10A(2)—Report on the ACT Legislative Assembly Election 2012, dated July 2013.
Planning and Development Act, pursuant to subsection 242(2)—Schedule—Leases granted for the period 1 April to 30 June 2013.
Planning and Development Act 2007—call-in powers
Papers and statement by minister
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Minister for Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations and Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development): For the information of members, I present the following papers:
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