Calvary public hospital, petrol-free cars, rental affordability, the night-time economy, Gungahlin’s economic development, and wild horses were the key topics debated by MLAs in the ACT Legislative Assembly this week, Tuesday 6 to Thursday 8 June.
Calvary public hospital – staffing levels and clinical services
Canberra Liberals MLA Leanne Castley, shadow minister for health, called on the ACT government to guarantee that staffing levels and the standard of clinical services would be maintained when Canberra Health Services (CHS) takes over Calvary Public Hospital Bruce.
“Canberrans and hard-working staff need and deserve certainty from the minister that this compulsory acquisition will not unnecessarily impact work levels or healthcare services,” Ms Castley said.
She was concerned that the government did not have any contingency plans should legal action hold up the takeover or many Calvary staff not transition to CHS. Health minister Rachel Stephen-Smith, she noted, had confirmed that the ACT government had no estimate of how many Calvary staff would transition to CHS; so far, only 120 out of 1,800 Calvary staff had completed the transition forms; and project management experts had cast doubts that the government would be able to take over Calvary by 3 July.
Ms Stephen-Smith amended the motion. The government will maintain the standard of clinical services, as Ms Castley proposed. It will also engage with the Calvary health workforce when possible on the draft transition plan, and ensure they are part of the transition process as experts in the operation of their public hospital service.
Ms Stephen-Smith said that the Northside Hospital Transition Team had executives with clinical, health service administration and public service expertise, supported by independent clinical, commercial, and legal advisors, who have mapped operational risks and contingencies for the northside hospital transition.
ACT government vehicle policies
Mark Parton MLA, shadow minister for transport, challenged the ACT government to stop what he termed its “anti-car, anti-family” agenda.
The ACT government, Mr Parton said, was the only jurisdiction where new internal combustion engine (ICE) cars will be illegal after 2035.
The C40 Green and Healthy Streets Accelerator, Mr Parton argued, effectively agreed to create ICE-car-free zones by 2030 in significant sections of Canberra. Advocacy for Inclusion, however, declared that any such zones would discriminate against those who cannot afford to drive electric vehicles (EVs), particularly those with a disability who rely on cars and cannot afford to buy an EV.
Mr Parton was also concerned that the ACT government is considering changing the car parking construction code to construct apartments without any provision for car parking, and that a car-free day will be held in Canberra in September.
“These anti-car policies tend to have a high impact on families with children who often need a private car for multiple pick-up and drop-off points, as well as lower socio-economic Canberrans and those with a disability,” Mr Parton said.
Chris Steel, ACT minister for transport and city services, threw out Mr Parton’s motion entirely.
Mr Steel’s amendment explained that new ICE vehicles will be phased out from 2035, but Canberrans will still be able to use ICE vehicles already on the road. Moreover, the FuelCheck App had reduced the cost of operating ICE vehicles.
Mr Steel’s amendment noted that the Accelerator aimed to provide better opportunities for the take-up of zero emission transport, including zero emission vehicles, public transport, walking, and riding.
Mr Steel’s amendment added that the ACT was “taking nation-leading steps to encourage the uptake of new and used zero emission vehicles”, through two years’ free registration, stamp duty exemption, and zero interest loans for EVs and charging infrastructure. The expansion of the EV charging network would support the uptake of zero emission vehicles; 53 more chargers will be installed this year, reaching a total of 180 chargers across the ACT by 2025.
To avoid a future of traffic congestion and gridlock, reduce reliance on privately owned vehicles, and provide alternative transport options, Mr Steel said, the ACT government is investing in public transport, roads, and active travel. The public transport system would be zero-emissions by 2040: 106 battery electric buses will join the Transport Canberra fleet by 2026, and light rail will be extended to Woden. A new Active Travel Plan will increase walking and riding in Canberra.
Mr Parton asked the ACT government – for the second time in less than a month – to rule out the establishment of a significant petrol-powered car-free zone in the ACT in the next decade. For the second time, he said, the government refused.
“I think it’s time for them to come clean with what’s on the agenda here,” Mr Parton said.
Labor MLA Suzanne Orr, the proponent of the C40 Green and Healthy Streets Accelerator motion, accused Mr Parton of “scaremongering”.
“If you’re not going to do it,” Mr Parton retorted, “don’t say I’m scaremongering. If you’re not going to do it, just rule it out.”
Rental affordability in the ACT
In another motion, Mark Parton called on the ACT government to stop driving rental prices up through market-distorting legislation, taxation, and regulation; to release more land for detached dwellings; and to absolutely rule out the two-year rent freeze the ACT Greens proposed earlier this month.
Canberra, Mr Parton noted, had the highest rents in Australia and a very low vacancy rate. It was the second most expensive capital city to rent in, in March: according to CoreLogic, $674 per week for all properties against a national average of $570 per week. The vacancy rate for units is 1.8 per cent, and a unit will cost a median $585 per week ($28,000 per annum), while the median equivalent for a house is $34,000 per annum.
“These rent levels,” he said, “impose massive hardship on people in lower income brackets. This situation was a direct result of long-term ACT government policies including very high property rates and land tax regimes, and the tangled web of difficult and costly legislative change in the residential tenancies space.”
The Greens’ rent freeze would disincentivise the supply of rental accommodation and exacerbate the ACT’s homelessness crisis, Mr Parton argued. He quoted Dr Michael Fotheringham, director of the Australian Housing and Urban Renewal Institute, who last week criticised the Greens for “floating populist ideas that we know won’t work as alternatives to [federal] legislation”. Rent freezes, Dr Fotheringham thought, could scare landlords into selling, creating turmoil for the tenant, who was likely to risk eviction and upheaval in an already disturbed market.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr altered Mr Parton’s motion. The most recent rental supply and cost data showed supply was increasing, and ACT rents were stabilising (falling in real terms), he stated. The vacancy rate in Canberra was the highest in the nation (1.8 per cent) and had increased over the past year from a low of 0.5 per cent. He acknowledged that it was still under the preferred range of 3 per cent. Nevertheless, the Real Estate Institute of Australia had found this week that the ACT was the only jurisdiction where rental affordability improved.
The ACT government, Mr Barr said, was improving housing affordability and accessibility by attracting large-scale build-to-rent developments to create 5,000 more long-term rental properties; delivering an extensive public housing renewal program; and passing the Planning Bill 2022, which would make it easier to release and develop more land for housing.
The government, Mr Barr continued, had helped renters’ security and comfort by implementing pro-tenant reforms (ending no cause evictions and setting minimum energy efficiency ratings); capping rental increases to a maximum annual rate of CPI plus 10 per cent; establishing a Rental Relief Fund (grants of up to four weeks rent up to $2,500 for low-income households); and a land tax exemption scheme for property owners who make their property available for rent through a community housing provider, at a rate less than 75 per cent of the market rent.
The government will assess whether a two-year rent freeze and two per cent rent cap, monitoring and regulation of short-term rental accommodation, and further regulating vacant homes would provide greater protections for tenants.
Night-time economy in the ACT
The ACT government will make public safety a priority in its plans for the night-time economy, and explore Purple Flag accreditation for Civic and other night-time destinations, a motion proposed by Labor MLA Dr Marisa Paterson.
The night-time economy in the ACT means economic activity between 6pm and 6am, including catering, culture, entertainment, arts, festivals, events, sports, nightlife, tourism, and transportation services. The ACT government is consulting community and industry about the issue.
The Purple Flag is an international accreditation scheme that recognises cities that meet standards of excellence in vibrancy, diversity, and safety at night. Sydney last year became one of 90 cities accredited by the initiative.
“Canberra’s premier night-time and entertainment destinations like Civic and Braddon would benefit from a cohesive safety strategy that effectively ensures patrons of licensed premises are sufficiently safe as they enjoy the city’s nightlife,” Dr Paterson said.
“Recent crime statistics published by ACT Policing show rates of violent and sexual assault are highest in Canberra’s night-life areas of Civic and Braddon.”
The Purple Flag initiative reduces crime and anti-social behaviour, improves the city’s public image and profile, and leads to wider patronage and increased expenditure.
Gungahlin – economic development
Good news for Gungahlin. The ACT government will investigate how to economically activate the district, and encourage more employment there.
The motion’s proponent, Andrew Braddock, Greens MLA for Yerrabi, said that 79 per cent of Gungahlin residents commute to work, and only 21 per cent work in the district – the lowest proportion of Canberra’s five major residential districts.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr, as minister for economic development, will investigate strategies to enhance economic development in districts (such as Gungahlin) that lack an anchor employer; advocate for Commonwealth investment in the Gungahlin district with the federal Labor government; and investigate setting ambitious targets for employment growth in Gungahlin and other districts for the census years of 2026 and 2031.
Feral horses – impacts and management in the Australian Alps
To mark World Environment Day, Rebecca Vassarotti, ACT minister for the environment, called on the ACT, NSW, and federal governments to work together to safeguard the Australian Alps from the detrimental effects of feral horses.
There are no established populations of feral horses in the ACT, due to a zero-tolerance policy on the animals in Namadgi National Park. However, significant populations of feral horses over the border in NSW could threaten the ACT’s water supply and conservation areas should incursions occur, Ms Vassarotti said.
“These creatures, while captivating, endanger our biodiversity and delicate wetlands,” she said. “By trampling our grasslands, they put many of our native species at risk of extinction.
“Our alpine wilderness is nationally protected because of its stunning and unique environmental values, which uphold the very balance of our natural ecosystem.”
In February, the Senate referred the impacts and management of feral horses in the Australian Alps for inquiry. The ACT government’s position is that the NSW government’s position is misaligned, and that the two jurisdictions must achieve a co-ordinated and cohesive approach to feral horse management.
“I’m calling on all state and federal ministers to do the right thing,” Ms Vassarotti said. “Together, we can create a sustainable future that protects our native environment.”
Debate was adjourned for the next sitting.
