Page 1076 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 5 April 2016
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protects the interests of the territory. Additionally, the University of Canberra will only have to apply to the government for approval of its joint venture and company-related activities where these are significant in nature. The amendments will provide for automatic approval to such significant events, unless notified otherwise within 30 days. This promotes certainty for the University of Canberra.
As the University of Canberra is moving up the international research and development rankings, it is increasingly undertaking a wider range of projects with external partners that may, of course, vary in size, cost and complexity. The government need not review and approve each and every one of them. With the potential for greater simplicity around the planning process for projects, the university will therefore be able to move more quickly to work with potential development partners on these projects. Just as in the case of financial reporting, the government retains the ability to review projects that are significant and therefore, by extension, protect the interests of the territory.
As I noted in my presentation speech on the bill, the University of Canberra will continue to work closely with the government on their expansion plans in coming decades to ensure that they meet campus and community needs. The important point here, and the important distinction between the government and the opposition, is that this government recognises that to truly compete, the university needs to be on a level playing field with its national and international higher education competitors, whether that competition is for students, staff, or research and commercialisation funding.
What the Assembly must understand is that the University of Canberra cannot be restricted by outdated or overly prescriptive regulatory rules, designed for an infant institution in the 1980s, if we want to achieve its full potential on the international stage. The university’s true competitors are institutions in this country like Macquarie, La Trobe or RMIT. I am confident that the University of Canberra can win in this competition for minds, and for funding, if this place is prepared to give it a level playing field.
That is why this reform is so important at this time, and why again the Leader of the Opposition is demonstrating his ignorance of the potential of the higher education sector. He is firmly establishing himself as an anti-education leader and his party as an anti-university party. That is very sad for Canberra’s future, because I would have thought this would be one area where we might have a chance of bipartisan support. But that is not to be on this occasion. So be it. I will very clearly state that my government will support the growth of Canberra’s higher education sector, and particularly Canberra’s own university, the University of Canberra.
I turn now to other elements of the bill. The bill will reduce administrative pressure for new agents, such as stock and station, business or real estate agents. Once agents have established new trust accounts as part of their business, they will now have seven business days, instead of two, to report to the Commissioner for Fair Trading on the details of these accounts. With greater flexibility, new agents can better allocate their valuable time to building their businesses. Meanwhile, their account details are still supplied to the commissioner on a timely basis.
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