Page 1227 - Week 05 - Thursday, 4 June 2020
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MR STEEL: I thank the member for his question and his acknowledgement of our government’s commitment to planting more trees: 4,000, the biggest tree planting in one season this century. It is a fantastic achievement, and this was based on community feedback. We have been listening to the community about where they would like to see more trees being planted and we put out to the community a tool on the yoursay website for them to place a marker where they would like to see a new tree planted as part of our huge tree-planting program. I have personally gone and visited the Mitchell residents—
Opposition members interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Members, I am finding it hard to hear Mr Steel respond to a question you had. If you asked it, I think you should be listening to the answer.
MR STEEL: I have personally gone and visited the Mitchell traders to talk with them about improvements to the Mitchell business district, including tree planting and their desire to see more pears planted in the Mitchell area. We are certainly keen to deliver on that, working closely with them, as we have around a number of projects, including improved footpaths in the area, as well. We look forward to continuing our tree-planting program, planting many trees around Canberra, and we will do that again in the spring.
Opposition members interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: We will go to your supplementary, Mr Milligan, and I ask people to then keep their comments and sniggering to themselves.
MR MILLIGAN: Minister, are you aware that last financial year your government received about $4.5 million dollars in commercial rates from Mitchell businesses? Do you think one tree is a good reflection of this?
MR STEEL: All of the revenue that comes into government is spent on health and hospitals, education, schools, transport, and it is also spent on city maintenance. We continue to work on putting in place the largest tree-planting program that the ACT has seen this century, which is significant. We are continuing that work; it has not stopped. We are in the middle of the autumn program. We will head into the spring planting program later on this year. We are of course working closely with the Mitchell traders to deliver more plantings around the Mitchell business precinct, as well as in other parts of Canberra that have a lower tree canopy in particular and are more susceptible to the urban heat island effect as a result.
MR COE: Minister, how much more in rates do Mitchell businesses need to pay in order to get more than one tree, or at least a bit of respect from this government with regard to all that they contribute to the ACT?
MR STEEL: We are already delivering extra trees. I mentioned that we have already been working with the Mitchell traders to plant more pears around the Mitchell business precinct. We will continue to do that. This is just one season of planting; we
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