Page 835 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 18 March 2015
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continued work on the implementation of the Oaks Estate master plan and on issues of social disadvantage. As we have heard today, and as has been made clear by the contributions of a number of different ministers within the territory government, this requires cross-agency work. Given the imperative out of this debate, the representations and discussions I have had with the Oaks Estate Progress Association, a cross-agency working group will be established to work on implementation. That will draw together resources across the various portfolios and issues that have been raised.
I think that a single point of contact for Oaks Estate residents, rather than seeking multiple meetings over an extended period of time with different portfolios, is the quickest and most effective way to deliver the outcomes that all in the Assembly, and indeed the community, are seeking for Oaks Estate. So the message is very clear. The planning work has been done. It is time to get on with delivery in a number of different portfolios, and that will be the government’s focus. We will seek to pull together the various areas of territory government to have one reference point and one process and series of meetings, with one group broadly representing all the different areas of ACT government, to work through the implementation issues and any new issues that might be brought to the ACT government’s attention.
That is a more effective way to achieve the outcomes that all are desiring here. The government will coordinate itself to ensure that Oaks Estate residents, through their progress association, have one meeting with ACT government, not separate meetings with different areas of government. That will be coordinated through the Chief Minister’s directorate, with input, obviously, from each of the line agencies and each of the ministers and their officers who have responsibility here. That is the way to quickly move to address the issues that have been raised and to work on the implementation of the master plan for Oaks Estate.
Having said that, I thank Mr Doszpot for raising these issues today, and Mr Gentleman for his amendment, which I encourage members to support.
MR DOSZPOT (Molonglo) (3.29): I would like to preface my statement before I speak to the amendment by expressing my profound disappointment in Mr Barr’s comments, which tried to give some credence to the amendment being proposed by Mr Gentleman. I cannot agree to Mr Gentleman’s amendment; I certainly cannot use any of the very praiseworthy words that Mr Barr has used.
We are used to having our government, and particularly Mr Rattenbury, try to dismantle by amendment any motion that calls on this government to take any action, but I am surprised at the number of parts to the amendment being proposed here this afternoon, given that our motion was totally based on the words and requests of the community of Oaks Estate. Mr Barr, Mr Gentleman’s comments and amendment and your endorsement of Mr Gentleman’s amendment do not silence the opposition in this regard. It is not us you are silencing by your sheer numbers.
Dr Bourke: A point of order.
MADAM SPEAKER: A point of order. Standing order 42?
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