Page 3439 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 22 October 2014
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We have continued to invest heavily in the provision of high quality health services, and the recent budget continued that record investment. We are very pleased with some of the projects that have been completed under the health infrastructure program, particularly the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children, the investment we have made in community health services with the opening of new community health centres in Tuggeranong, Belconnen and Gungahlin, the opening of the new nurse-led walk-in centres in both Tuggeranong and Belconnen, the Canberra Region Cancer Centre which opened in mid-August this year, but also our focus on healthy weight through our healthy weight action plan, trying to ensure that the next generations of Canberrans are not dealing with some of the health epidemics that we are dealing with now. Also for the partnerships we work with for vulnerable communities, for example with the early morning centre and the bush healing farm, which I am very pleased will start construction very soon.
In the environment the OECD report also scored Canberra highly on its natural environment. We have been very proud to be a national leader on policies which act to preserve our natural assets and actively transition the economy towards a lower carbon footprint. In the absence of the Minister for the Environment we should reflect on some of these initiatives and achievements: the most ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets of any jurisdiction in Australia, targeting a 40 per cent reduction by 2020, which is just marginally above the Canberra Liberals target of 30 per cent, and zero net emissions by 2060; biodiversity planting initiatives which have been a key priority for on-ground restoration and enhancing habitat connections across the ACT and into New South Wales, and ecological connectivity is widely regarded as a critical element in assisting biodiversity to adapt to climate change; the ACT’s targeted recovery plans for nationally threatened species and the reintroduction of some species; and the protection of endangered ecological systems such as grasslands and woodlands combined with education of our community of their importance
The OECD also recognised the high level of safety we enjoy in the ACT. It confirms the picture of crime reduction we can observe that was released in the June 2014 criminal justice statistical profile, which continued to report consistent decreases across a broad range of reported property and personal crimes. The June profile sees decreases in property damage and environmental pollution; robbery, extortion and related offences; sexual assault and related offences; motor vehicle theft; theft and related offences; acts intended to cause injury; and unlawful entry with intent, burglary, break and enter. These have all seen decreases year on year. Again, this is a credit to ACT Policing and those ACT government officials who work to ensure that the vision and target of the ACT property crime and reduction strategy is implemented.
I do not think we should just sit here and take these results for granted, particularly when you look across the world with some of the conflicts and turbulence that exists in so many places where individual safety cannot be guaranteed. One of Canberra’s great strengths is that as individuals, as citizens, we enjoy a very high level of safety as we walk around and conduct our lives and our business in this town.
Both reports referred to in this motion have attracted national and international attention. For visitors and foreign dignitaries I have met, including on my recent visit
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