Page 602 - Week 02 - Thursday, 20 February 2020
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problems that have occurred with the nature reserve directly bordering the residential estate in north Watson. These include roaming cats, people feeding invasive bird species, dogs walked off lead, vandalism of conservation work, and dumping of garden waste and rotting food.
At this point, I would like to give special recognition to the great work that groups like the Friends of Mount Majura do in caring for these valuable ecosystems. It is not just the Friends of Mount Majura, of course, but the whole range of ParkCare groups across the ACT, as well as the catchment groups, and Landcare ACT, which is the peak body.
I want to note that because of groups like this, if we were to rezone the land to be nature reserve, the government would not have to put in a large amount of extra resources. Our ParkCare groups already do a lot of the hard yards. The Friends of Mount Majura have even mapped the location of all of the rabbit warrens around Mount Majura nature reserve.
Not only should we be protecting the area I have described in north Canberra, we should be taking steps to protect all of the remaining yellow box red gum grassy woodlands in the ACT from urban development and other activities that may damage these ecosystems. And we have to be careful about using sites as offsets, because there is always a concern about maintaining an offset site in perpetuity, especially as they are at risk from threats such as fires and the changing climate.
My motion asks the government to start the process of rezoning the area near Mount Majura nature reserve, and to report back to the Assembly on progress. It also asks the government to report back on the status of yellow box red gum grassy woodlands across the territory.
My motion also makes reference to the proposed Monash Drive, which still exists on the National Capital Plan because the National Capital Authority refuses to remove it. The Greens’ position on this phantom road is clear. It is a bad idea, it is not necessary, and it is time to exorcise that phantom and take it off the map. We want a sustainable, people-focused bush capital, and you do not achieve that by building big new roads in spite of the views of your community and taking out the nature reserves that locals value.
To conclude, I commend this motion to the Assembly. It asks for the government to undertake an investigation into the blocks east of Antill Street. This is the first step in a process of rezoning these blocks to be part of the Mount Majura nature reserve and ensure they are protected from future development. This is an important issue for the community, and for this Assembly, to ensure that we value and protect our natural environment and we preserve the threatened ecological communities over which we have stewardship.
MS STEPHEN-SMITH (Kurrajong—Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, Minister for Children, Youth and Families, Minister for Health and Minister for Urban Renewal) (11.49): I thank Minister Rattenbury for bringing this motion to the Assembly and indicate that Labor members will be supporting this
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