Page 1365 - Week 05 - Thursday, 18 June 2020
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Our policy of a million trees over the coming decade will assist that. We are already looking to bring in children and their families and encourage community stewardship of trees and the tree canopy.
I cannot let the remaining minute and a bit go past without commenting on something that the minister for the environment just referred to, African lovegrass, and some comment as if Mr Coe is somehow responsible for African lovegrass. This is from the minister for artificial turf, can I remind you! The minister for artificial turf has talked about African lovegrass plaguing Brindabella. I cannot tell you the number of times I raised the issue of African lovegrass with that minister for the environment when I was the shadow minister for the environment. Under his watch it has spread throughout the ACT. It has plagued and is continuing to plague Brindabella.
Ms Lee: Under his watch.
MS LAWDER: Under his watch—and the lack of resources that he allocated to his department to get rid of and try to contain African lovegrass. Now, apparently, he is saying it is Mr Coe’s fault. Hello? Hello? Even if you put artificial turf in, that is not going to stop the spread of African lovegrass that we now have in the ACT. It is absolutely appalling.
This is a government that has had more trees chopped down and dying than they have bothered to plant. Once again, they take away, take away, take away, give a little bit back and expect you to be grateful! A million trees over the coming decade is what is going to make Canberra the urban space, the suburban space, that we all want and want to have for our children and grandchildren. I commend Ms Lee for her motion today.
MR RATTENBURY (Kurrajong) (4.10): I feel like I am having my best day ever at the Assembly because everyone is saying how much they love trees. I feel like this is finally where I want things to be in this Assembly. This has been a positive day but, unfortunately, the details warrant closer examination. He Greens are supporting Mr Steel’s amendment because the details are important.
Ms Lee’s motion is quite simple. As Ms Le Couteur noted, it is probably the shortest motion ever brought to the Assembly. That is not necessarily a bad thing; brevity can be a positive. The motion simply says: plant one million trees. There is no other detail. That is ostensibly a positive ask because trees are very important and they are a valued part of Canberra’s landscape, as members have talked about today. We strongly agree with the need to rapidly increase the tree canopy in Canberra.
Over many years in the ACT Assembly the Greens have fought for improved tree policies in this city. In the 2008 Assembly Ms Le Couteur secured an inquiry from the commissioner for the environment on the urban treescape, to try to correct the policy being implemented at that time, where entire streets of trees were being taken out to ensure uniformity of tree cover rather than protecting the trees in good condition and simply removing the ones in poor condition.
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