Page 3629 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 13 September 2017
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MR BARR: There are many benefits from being engaged in this national forum. Through collective advocacy and joint policy development, the CCCLM gives Canberra a voice in the development of national cities policy and an opportunity to influence federal policy, such as the commonwealth government’s smart cities plan and of course the development of city deals.
As the nation’s city leaders, the CCCLM provides an opportunity for lord mayors and, indeed, one Chief Minister, to build partnerships across political, jurisdictional and geographic lines.
Working with Sydney’s Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, will drive support to grow and improve the rail services between Sydney and Canberra. Lord Mayor Moore has agreed to join me in advocating for stronger public transport connections between Canberra, our nation’s capital city, and Sydney, the largest city in the country.
Similarly membership of the CCCLM has directly led to the development of a smart city cooperation agreement between Canberra and the City of Adelaide. Under this agreement, the two cities have made a joint application in a nation-leading way to the commonwealth’s smart cities and suburbs program for the development of an integrated smart parking application, something that will benefit drivers in both of our cities.
MR PETTERSSON: Chief Minister, how will the ACT government contribute to the CCCLM agenda for 2018?
MR BARR: The chair of the CCCLM, as I have mentioned, rotates through member cities on a yearly basis. I look forward to taking up the chair role in 2018. The key priorities that I will be working towards will be championing the importance of sustainable transport infrastructure in cities, especially light rail, strengthening international collaboration by building closer relationships amongst the CCCLM with Canberra’s sister city, Wellington, and Auckland and Singapore, and continuing to work across the lord mayors network to implement practical reforms in areas such as homelessness, economic development, infrastructure and climate adaptation.
Of course, all of this work will be occurring in the context of a possible federal election campaign, rumoured to take place in the second half of 2018, which will certainly be the perfect time to put capital city issues on the national agenda.
One of the CCCLM’s key objectives, and one that I will pursue as chair, is to advocate strongly for the important role that cities play in the economic life of our nation. The prosperity and productivity of cities must be supported by strong federal leadership, a clear cities policy, but, most importantly, on-the-ground results.
Mental health—office for mental health
MRS DUNNE: My question is to the Minister for Mental Health: in your ministerial statement yesterday on 12 September in relation to the office of mental health, you said:
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