Page 3475 - Week 11 - Thursday, 24 September 2015
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The ACT government has also been active in service reform. My Government and iConnect, along with Access Canberra, are major initiatives helping us build a digital by default government. My Government gives Canberrans the ability to engage directly with their local MLAs. Just recently, the ACT government’s twitter cabinet was broadcast live on the new Periscope platform; it was a great thing to watch from home. I have been impressed to see this technology also pop up in our Gungahlin Community Council meetings and media events. And we almost had it live here in the chamber earlier this week.
As you can see, the NBN rollout is critical for these types of initiatives and must be a priority of any federal government. I look forward to seeing the new communications minister’s response to the Chief Minister’s letter about how he plans to build the capacity of the NBN across Canberra and the country.
Canberra’s digital future is essential. I am proud to be part of a government that believes in new technology and is doing everything it can to grow our digital economy and give more opportunity to more people.
Motion agreed to.
Building (Loose-fill Asbestos Eradication) Legislation Amendment Bill 2015
Mr Barr, pursuant to notice, presented the bill, its explanatory statement and a Human Rights Act compatibility statement.
Title read by Clerk.
MR BARR (Molonglo—Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Urban Renewal and Minister for Tourism and Events) (10.24): I move:
That this bill be agreed to in principle.
On 28 October 2014 the ACT government announced the loose-fill asbestos insulation eradication scheme. The scheme was announced to provide an enduring solution to the Mr Fluffy legacy in the ACT community.
The scheme has two key components: the voluntary buyback program, where the affected property is purchased by the government; and the demolition program, where the affected property has the loose-fill asbestos removed and is then safely demolished and remediated. The blocks will then be resold to former home owners where the first right of refusal is preserved, otherwise they will be offered to other ACT government agencies or to the market at large.
The end of June 2015 marked the closure of the buyback program, where the government conducted a voluntary buyback of all houses in the territory affected by loose-fill asbestos insulation. This component of the scheme was a great success, with
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