Page 1968 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 7 June 2017

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We know that there was an explosion of community concern in Wright, Holder, Chapman and Mawson following the announcement of community facilities zones in those suburbs upon which public housing developments would be built. We know that many members of the Canberra community felt that they had been lied to and left out of the loop by that announcement.

This motion aims to head that sort of unrest off at the pass. All we are calling upon the government to do is tell us what other community facilities zones are and were being considered for this sort of development. If the government chooses not to support this motion, then we can only assume that every single community facilities zone is on that target list. In the spirit of community engagement and transparency, my name is Mark and I am here to help.

MS BERRY (Ginninderra—Deputy Chief Minister, Minister for Education and Early Childhood Development, Minister for Housing and Suburban Development, Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, Minister for Women and Minister for Sport and Recreation) (11.33): I am happy to be able to rise to speak to this motion today because it allows the government to talk about the important reform that has been undertaken to further extend the concept of an open government. It gives me a chance to update the Assembly on the community engagement that continues for the current new public housing renewal sites.

I have tabled an amendment to the motion and I move the amendment that has been circulated in my name:

Omit all words after “That this Assembly”, substitute:

“(1) notes that:

(a) the ACT Government is committed to transparency in process and information;

(b) former Chief Minister, Katy Gallagher MLA, stated ‘that as a first principle information available to the Government should be made available for use by the community’;

(i) the publication of a weekly summary of cabinet proceedings;

(ii) a dedicated open government website providing a gateway for government information; and

(iii) establishment of a dedicated Government Information Office;

(d) freedom of information (FOI) legislation was a key part of the 2012 Labor-Greens Parliamentary Agreement;

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