Page 1349 - Week 05 - Thursday, 18 June 2020
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Trees—proposed planting program
MS LEE (Kurrajong) (3.13): I move:
That this Assembly supports the planting of one million trees in the ACT over the next decade.
On World Environment Day, Mr Coe, Mr Parton and I had the privilege of planting a tree at St Bede’s Primary School at Red Hill. This tree is the start of the Canberra Liberals’ commitment to planting and caring for one million trees throughout the ACT over the next decade. This tree symbolises a new beginning for Canberra—the start of a community investment in this territory and an opportunity to cement Canberra as environmentally the healthiest city to live, work and raise a family in, and as the most climate conscious jurisdiction in Australia.
I moved to Canberra over 20 years ago. Coming from Sydney, Canberra seemed to me a happy country town, with open spaces, lots of parks, trees in every street and garden, vibrant local shops and gardens, a healthy population, clean air and a genuine sense of pride among residents. Nearly 20 years of Labor neglect has changed all that. Today we have overgrown, dead and dying parks, weed-infested nature strips, shabby suburbs, treeless streets, sad and empty local shops, broken footpaths and a sense of abandonment in certain areas of Canberra by a complacent, arrogant government. Today we have soaring rates and a growing resentment among residents that Canberrans are not getting value for their hard-earned tax dollars. This is the face and the reality of almost 20 years of Labor in Canberra.
In the face of a combination of rising temperatures, a more challenging climate and a frenzied need for development, we need a government that will set and implement real, practical and tangible steps to protect our local environment for our future generations. I have previously acknowledged, and I again acknowledge, the work done by former Minister for the Environment, Simon Corbell, and the hardworking environment directorate in establishing the reverse auction scheme which has seen the ACT become a leader in tackling climate change. The Canberra Liberals have supported our collective commitment to 100 per cent renewable electricity well into the future. In fact, it was an amendment brought forward by the Canberra Liberals which secured an increase in our renewable energy generation to sustain our goal well into the future.
It should, then, be a no-brainer for Labor and the Greens to support my motion. The Canberra Liberals believe it is important to think globally but even more important to act locally. Our action on one million trees is the start of that local action plan. So why start with trees? Australia just experienced the second warmest summer on
record—2019 being the hottest year. Summer temperatures soared across the country, causing economic and human loss. Research tells us that extreme heat in cities poses a significant threat to public health and urban livability. We know that more frequent, prolonged and intense heatwaves are predicted under future climate change and that they will pose unprecedented challenges for Australia’s urban systems.
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