Page 1649 - Week 05 - Thursday, 5 May 2016
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Where a mutually beneficial outcome between a Proponent, ACT Government and the Territory can be demonstrated, the ACT Government intends that successful bidders receive a fair return for their efforts, particularly for genuinely unique ideas.
This would require a Proponent to bring one or more of the following:
1. A unique proposition not currently under ACT Government consideration;
2. A unique technology;
3. A unique service offering; and/or
4. A considered innovation or entrepreneurship with benefits to the Territory.
I would note that I think it is unfortunate that the first line of the March 2015 guidelines for unsolicited proposals, which are in the background section, states:
The ACT Government is committed to improving the facilitation of infrastructure delivery within the Territory.
Whilst that is, of course, a statement with which all would agree, the suggestion is that unsolicited proposals are primarily about infrastructure delivery. This should not be the case. Whilst infrastructure can be part of the framework, other proposals, such as software and system improvements, are obvious examples where IP can and should be protected for unsolicited proposals. Whilst these are not excluded in the current framework, they should not necessarily come across as being secondary to physical infrastructure.
Whilst we frequently hear in the media and in public discourse that there is a need for new ideas and more imagination, sometimes when such ideas are presented they can be too big or too unsettling, for various reasons. The Manuka green proposal has certainly brought to the public attention the unsolicited proposals process in Canberra. To my knowledge, and I think to public knowledge, this is the biggest proposal brought forward under the framework.
As part of the process, the Manuka green project group have undertaken a number of consultation sessions. Their website states:
This has included over 30 meetings with key members of the Inner South Canberra Community Council and key stakeholders and associations in the area including Telopea Park School, Manuka Traders and Kingston Traders.
I also understand that there is a consultation session planned for Monday, 11 May in the Bradman Room at the Manuka Oval from 4 pm to 7 pm.
There have been some concerns raised about the details of this project. Some of these include the scale of the development; others include parking and traffic. However, there are some concerns about the integrity of the process, too.
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