Page 508 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 19 March 2014
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We need a mix of models for land development to provide opportunities for different parts of the industry and allow for innovation and sustainable design. Part of the stimulus package involves the bringing forward of civil works contracts at Moncrieff, which will bring forward construction activity that was originally scheduled over three to four years. That will provide opportunities for the construction industry certainly sooner that was otherwise planned.
When it comes to simplifying the territory plan, I agree with Mr Coe on the need to review the plan. That is why this policy was included in the 2012 Labor-Greens parliamentary agreement—that is, to ensure the plan is consistent with the 40 per cent greenhouse gas reduction target that we have set for ourselves in the ACT. I think it is important that our central planning document reflects those broader policy objectives the government has.
I will be supporting the amendment Mr Barr has moved because I support the recently announced stimulus package. I do not think a well-timed stimulus package should ever be underappreciated. Certainly the federal stimulus package from the Rudd government in 2009, which included substantial funding for public housing and school infrastructure, was crucial to keeping employment and our economy in a strong state while much of the rest of the western world struggled financially.
Of course, it also enabled investments in important areas which otherwise would have struggled to find funding. Many public housing developments for our ageing population came from this funding as well as so many schools across Canberra being able to build improvements such as libraries, school halls, extensions, science labs and playground equipment. Had this stimulus package not happened, I suspect Australia would be suffering from the high unemployment rates and low economic turnover we have seen in some other western economies.
For this reason the Australian Greens supported the federal stimulus package and ensured that all buildings were required to be built with energy efficiency in mind, with higher minimum energy efficiency standards for both the housing and the school buildings. This is something we can be proud of knowing that many more people across Australia are now living in houses that are cheaper to cool and heat and are being educated in schools that are more pleasant to learn in as well as being environmentally efficient.
The ACT Greens also supported the rollout of this stimulus package here in Canberra. We looked over the expediency regulations very carefully at the time before supporting the legislation to ensure that public consultation could be incorporated as much as possible in the processes.
The ACT Greens will be supporting this local 2014 series of measures designed to provide stimulus in the ACT. We cannot be exactly sure just yet what impact the change of federal government will have on the ACT, but we know jobs are already being lost in the federal public service and house prices are starting to dip in Canberra. For this reason we would like to see appropriate development, especially sustainable development, occur as a result of this stimulus package.
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