Page 1158 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 7 May 2014
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
Mr Hanson: I withdraw.
MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you.
MR WALL: Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. And in response to Mr Corbell’s interjection: of course the car parking space has got value. It is a value that the purchaser of it is paying—obviously, interest to the bank. The unimproved value that the government recognises, though, is only $4,000. To be levied almost 50 per cent of the unimproved capital value of that space in rates in one year is simply unconscionable.
One of the biggest issues affecting the ACT economy is the attraction of new business and investment into the territory. We are all too familiar with the issues surrounding the swim school at Calwell, Kingswim, where this government stood in the way by imposing a six-figure fine on the landholder, preventing him from investing out of his own pocket into community infrastructure that will only benefit residents of Tuggeranong. It is beyond all doubt that this government simply does not understand the way to attract investment into this territory.
Just this week I was talking to a constituent who is opening a go-kart facility in Fyshwick. They have been going through regulatory hurdle after hurdle for the last 18 months trying to get this facility open. It is a massive investment coming into Canberra by local business people at a time when the Treasurer says, “Canberra business owners are not willing to step up to the plate with investment.” These individuals have made an investment in excess of $1 million in opening a facility, yet the government has continued to stand in their way, as far as shop fit-out approvals, refit and rezoning have been concerned, in getting this business to operate.
I will close off just very quickly by highlighting an article in today’s paper. There is an announcement that IKEA is coming to Canberra. Whilst I, like many people, share the joy and excitement that such a large and versatile retailer is coming into Canberra, we also need to take note and consider the implication that such a large-box multinational will have on small, locally owned family businesses in the ACT that operate in the existing space. You only need to drive through Fyshwick or Mitchell to see the furniture retailers that we have here, not to mention the soft furnishings and home decorating businesses that are all going to be significantly impacted, at a time when the economy is very tough, simply by having a behemoth move in with a tax grant or a waiver. Where is the assistance for the small operator in this town?
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) (11.11): I am very pleased to speak to the amendment proposed by my colleague the Chief Minister because it gives me the opportunity to highlight the big picture challenges that we face as a community and that, I will argue, the government has taken substantive steps to address.
The biggest challenge is, of course, our growing population. Our city continues to grow. Even if there is an impact, which undoubtedly there will be, from the vicious
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video