Page 2172 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 4 August 2015
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There are some recommendations resulting from when the committee saw Shared Services concerning the appropriate withdrawal clauses in the provision of capital metro. We look forward to those provisions—the standard withdrawal or termination clauses—in those documents.
There was also a lot of discussion in the committee—there is a recommendation about it—about the government’s ongoing tax on community groups where they are basically taking money off them. They have extended the original deal by another two years but, again, a lot of the community groups did not know that was coming. Some groups who appeared before us talked about the lack of respect for community groups and the desire for a new framework where they are treated with respect. We look forward to the government responding to that.
Something dear to Mr Doszpot’s heart, there was a lot of discussion about Manuka Occasional Care and what is happening at the Telopea Park School, and there are recommendations about that. With regard to tourism, recommendation 46 is that the government update its tourism 2020 strategy to consider the 10 years to 2030 and take into account things like accommodation, attractions and annual events so that we start getting a long-term vision of where we are going and that we provide the facilities to allow that to happen.
Recommendation 47 is something dear to Mr Coe’s heart—that the government funds stage 2 of the Belconnen Arts Centre. There has been a lot of consideration about this. The government is always talking, as well you know, Madam Speaker—I am sure this is dear to your heart as well—about the importance of community arts facilities in the community. Recommendation 48 also points out that the Woden-Weston area does not have such a community arts facility and neither does the growing area of Gungahlin. It is about making sure that we have a long-term vision and a long-term plan to deliver on that.
Recommendation 49 is that the government should consider assisting the arts sector by determining a path to improve the wages paid to the arts community. This has come up in several estimates hearings over recent years. There still does not seem to be an answer and there certainly does not seem to be a commitment from the government.
There was a lot of discussion about the CBD development issues, and that can be seen at page 22. The Chief Minister in his capacity as Minister for Urban Renewal told the committee what was going on. Recommendation 50 is that the government, in conjunction with relevant stakeholders, promulgate a vision for Canberra’s CBD. We get a lot of talk, and many will remember Mr Corbell’s plan from 2004 which never saw the light of day after it was tabled. Sixteen key initiatives, none of which happened, and here we are a decade later.
Recommendation 51 is that the ACT government develop a vision for Canberra as a whole with three elements in it: short-term plans for five years, medium plans of about 15 years and a long-term plan for 50 years. Where are we going and what are we going to be like when we get there?
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