Page 1142 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 2 April 2019
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At local shops the ACT government is about to get the second stage of upgrades to the Kambah Village group centre underway. On the north side, the ACT government’s key project in Belconnen has been improving active travel connections, and we will soon be announcing the next steps in the delivery of the Belconnen bikeway.
Our government understands the national waste crisis that Australia is facing. We are not going to be complacent. It is the responsible thing to do to reduce and to reuse waste resources in our society. Along with the responsible actions our government has already taken to manage waste, we need to continue to build the circular economy in the ACT and further reduce the amount of waste going into landfill. In response to the Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment’s Unfantastic plastic report, the government will engage with the community on expanding the successful plastic bag ban to include a broader range of single-use plastics.
This important sustainability initiative requires careful consideration of the effects on Canberrans and of the environmental impact of substitute products. We have an opportunity to lead a national approach on phasing out problematic and unnecessary single-use plastic and I am eager to gauge the community’s view on our approach to this important issue of single-use plastics.
Improving our recycling rates is essential. This also includes food organic waste, which is currently going into landfill from household garbage bins. We continue to look at food organic waste and at developing an appropriate waste to energy policy in the ACT, based on our consultation with the community, to help reach our target of 90 per cent waste recovery by 2025.
The ACT is at the forefront when it comes to ensuring that we do the right thing and the fair thing by animals. We recognise that animals feel pain, physically and emotionally. Leadership is needed to give effect to our principles. I am proud of the tough decisions that have been made in this place, such as the greyhound racing ban and the ban on battery cages for hens and on sow stalls.
We want to continue to lead the nation on animal welfare. The changes that I will soon bring to the Assembly will be broad-ranging. Recognising animal sentience has received national attention, but we will also be seeking to legislate new offences for appropriate duty of care for an animal, thus ensuring that we have the best possible protections for people with assistance animals as well.
Ensuring animal welfare goes hand in hand with ensuring that our community is safe from the potential dangers of animals. Too often, animals are unfairly blamed for the irresponsible behaviour of their owners. To ensure that the broader community is safe, we are taking action on irresponsible dog owners, enforcing the law and educating the community.
The additional compliance staff I announced this week will enhance the investment the ACT government has already made in domestic animal services by supporting our rangers in delivering compliance. The government will continue to deliver against the recommendations of the independent review into dog management and will follow the advice of experts.
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