Page 2104 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 6 June 2018
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As we know, Canberra consists of a diverse range of environments with many different characteristics along with different street tree species. Sediment from construction, anthropogenic waste such as plastics and cans, and evergreen species that shed all year round can also cause issues in other areas of Canberra and at other times of the year.
A street sweeping program dictated by fix my street submissions alone would not fully optimise the service. It would not provide for improved efficiencies and minimisation of operating costs through travel time management, but an optimised street sweeping program will see greater improvement in the leafier suburbs, in the newer suburbs and in other parts of Canberra. Responding to street sweeping requests is important and all requests are investigated and an appropriate response programmed as soon as possible.
Ms Lee’s motion proposes the establishment of a minimum time frame to respond to requests lodged on fix my street. I do not support this proposal as it will cause disruptions to the existing program and to mobilising the new and improved optimised street sweeping program. For example, some flexibility in the program is necessary as there will be times when streetsweepers have to be deployed from their existing program to respond to certain requests, such as traffic accidents. A program based on reactiveness will not be sustainable.
A program that involves operators travelling to one street based on an urgent request, then travelling across the city to respond to another request is neither a sustainable program nor a fair and equitable program for the Canberra community. But an optimised street sweeping program which looks at reusing the material currently collected and avoiding downtime and travel time to the waste disposal facility will have multiple benefits for our community. This is a sustainable program.
There are two points I can commit to today: firstly, the government will deliver an improved street sweeping program for the Canberra community; secondly, the government will deliver a stormwater value capture project which will see the optimised street sweeping program collect more street sweeping material and turn this into a reusable material. The program will see material trapped in our waterways via the gross pollutant traps reused, and the program will result in no waste entering landfill.
The work already being undertaken by TCCS to improve and optimise the street sweeping program will ensure a sustainable, efficient and effective program for the community. The government is also developing the better suburbs statement, as I have previously outlined, through a deliberative community panel to consider how Canberra's city services, including street sweeping, can continue to deliver for our community.
These points have been included in an amendment to the motion which was circulated previously. I hope with the measures outlined in my speech that amendment can be supported by the Assembly. I move the amendment circulated in my name:
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