From my Desk
After having 20+ years experience operating a Publishing House, I am very much in favour of promoting the further development of the private business sector in Canberra. I have regular contact with businesses in the Yerrabi electorate including Mitchell and strongly represented the challenges local businesses were facing during the disastrous drawn-out light rail development. This was where the creation of my Back in 5 videos originated from. Just one way I could try and help promote business during this period.
The extent of private sector business in the ACT is growing slowly but public service (Federal and ACT), defence, tertiary education and national retail still tend to dominate. The Labor/Greens government in the ACT is not business-friendly as red tape and bureaucratic practices continue to make life difficult for smaller businesses.
The satellite centre model for Canberra’s development no longer works as originally planned as few efforts and incentives are put in place to establish localised employment hubs and to attract a broader range of small retail and service businesses in our outer regions.
Benefits for the respective community economies are marginalised due to focus being placed on a few larger centres, including Civic, which draw customs away from regional areas.
These local businesses are vital for employing younger people giving them a start to their working lives, for reducing travel time and cost and for supporting local organisations. Sporting, community and cultural groups all benefit from having thriving local businesses. We need more!
I am keen to support programs that deliver a broader range of local businesses needed to service our continually growing population. Commercial development in places such as the Gungahlin Town Centre has not come close to matching the commercial/service needs of the community. I want to see continued growth in the private business sector in Gungahlin to restore the intended satellite centre model and to create a readily accessible, wide-ranging and vibrant commercial offering,
Out and About
My focus over the past couple of weeks has been the street of Franklin, doorknocking before my community BBQ this weekend. Lots of residents have raised their concerns about the lack of urban maintenance, like mowning and weeding but also the maintenance of our public parks and playgrounds.
As annual hearings are coming up, I will be questioning the Government on these topics and many more. If you have any questions you would like to ask the Government in the upcoming hearings, reply to this email and I will be sure to submit them. To keep up to date with the upcoming annual hearings, the questions I ask and my upcoming events, be sure to follow my social media pages. @JameskMilligan
Franklin Community BBQ
This weekend I am holding a community BBQ at the Franklin Recreational Park. If you’re in the area be sure to pop down for a chat!
Portfolio
It’s been a busy two weeks in the Assembly. I have been following up, initially in question time, and subsequently in a Motion about the Government’s misleading claim that the ACT is more bushfire ready than ever before. In response to questions, the Minister admitted that in fact the fire trails were NOT up to scratch, nor were they at the standard required by the Strategic Bush Fire Management Plan, or even to what they were before the 2019-2020 Black Summer fires.
I was pleased to welcome the support for my motion from all members of the Legislative Assembly to ensure Canberra is better prepared for the upcoming bushfire season. I was happy to see and acknowledge that common sense prevailed, and that all members of Labor and the Greens agreed to the motion that called on the ACT Government to fully commit to reinstating the Namadgi National Park fire trail network, returning the network to its pre-Orroral Valley Fire 2020 accessibility status.
The Minister has committed to reporting back to the Assembly in the final sitting on the current state of the fire trail network, and the progress that has been made towards meeting the required standards. The fire season is on us, with several small fires already happening in the bushlands surrounding our nations capital.
We must make sure that we are all prepared, but it is the Government’s responsibility to ensure that our environment is bushfire-ready, no excuses. This protects our environment, our community, and importantly our fire fighters, those tireless front-line workers who put their lives at risk to ensure we are able to enjoy our bush capital. The government has been failing in its duty to do so.
I was glad to be able to bring this Motion to the Assembly and highlight the urgent need for the government to act, and that they have undertaken to do so.
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Authorised by James Milligan MLA