Page 1659 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 9 May 2018
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emergency than ever before. The ACT’s policies, warning systems and governance arrangements lead emergency management practice on a national level.
The Emergencies Act 2004 under which the ESA operates is viewed as the best practice in emergency management. Under the Emergencies Act, the ESA commissioner must prepare a strategic bushfire management plan every five years which sets out complementary and integrated strategies through which the government and the community reduce the risks of bushfire in the ACT. In planning for new estates in or near bushfire-prone areas the Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate works very closely with the ESA.
In addition to the Australian standards for construction in a bushfire-prone area, the strategic bushfire management plan allows the ESA commissioner to set additional standards in a situation where a development proposal is received that would concentrate vulnerable members of our community in a bushfire-prone area. Applying building construction standards reduces bushfire risk by minimising the likelihood of property loss, and it provides a critical level of protection to people who may shelter in these structures during the passage of bushfires and extreme conditions.
As our city grows this Labor government is investing and helping to make a great city even better, and we believe in our city. Unfortunately, this belief and desire to help make Canberra great is not shared by the Liberals. Last night’s federal budget was sadly lacking for our city. It cut staff at our national institutions such as the National Archives. It also showed the cost of the pork-barrelling exercise that is seeing a federal agency being relocated away to help Barnaby Joyce. The relocation is costing $25 million, and I am advised that equates to one-quarter of what is being provided in the federal budget to the ACT for infrastructure. I look forward to hearing from those opposite calling out the Turnbull government on their failures in last night’s budget.
In contrast to the Liberals, the ACT government has encouraged growth by promoting Canberra as a city of innovation and opportunity, attracting investment, and supporting local entrepreneurship and creativity.
MR PETTERSSON (Yerrabi) (11.49): Canberra is a growing city. Last year alone our population grew by 7,000 people. It is expected to grow at 1.5 per cent per year over the next decade. Canberra will be home to half a million people by 2030. My own electorate of Yerrabi is the fastest growing region in the ACT and one of the fastest growing regions in the entire country. For the past five years the Gungahlin region has grown by almost 24,000 people. This growth presents enormous opportunities for our city, but it is not without its challenges. That is why our government is investing in city services that will ensure Canberra remains the livable city it is today.
Our government is investing in health, transport, education, suburban amenities, public spaces, tourism and community support programs to serve our city. Canberra deserves a government with a vision of its future and a proactive agenda to ensure services can adequately support our growing city.
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