It’s been a very long couple of weeks in federal politics, but late last week there was more than one marathon sitting occurring in parliament House! In addition to the late night Senate sittings, the National Capital Authority conducted its inaugural public forum, held in a packed-to-the-rafters Parliament House theatrette.
The Forum started at 6pm and was only finally wound up when security expressed concern about needing to close up the building at about 10.15pm: the NCA did stay for as long as the questions kept coming, as they said they would.
I was pleased to be able to spend a significant amount of time at the forum despite the Senate sitting so I think that I am in a position to reflect on it being an effective forum for people to air their grievances and viewpoints and be provided with a considered response from representatives from the NCA. However with so many issues built up over a long period of time it was ambitious to think everything could be dealt with.
I do want to congratulate the NCA, Board and officers alike for their approach to the public forum. It has been a long time coming and it appears to be heralding in a new era of meaningful engagement with a passionate and interested community. I think Allan Hawke was an inspired choice as chair and I don’t think anyone begrudged his iron fist emerging from his velvet glove from time to time.
Participants too were generally respectful of the process and each other despite the lateness of the hour and the tension felt by many. The NCA has committed to following up questions not able to be addressed on the night too. In addition, the NCA plans another forum in April 2010.
While the Canberra Times coverage of the forum reflected all of the negative comments, I also think there was a growing respect of the current leadership’s efforts to rectify deficiencies of the past. As the Government, we need to make sure adequate resources are available to enable these deficiencies to be rectified.
In the issue of accountability, many of you will know that I am also the Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories.
In July 2008 the committee released its report entitled, The Way Forward – Inquiry into the role of the National Capital Authority. As part of that report, the committee made a series of recommendations which sought to enhance the governance and accountability of the National Capital Authority.
In particular, recommendation 3 proposed that representatives of the NCA appear regularly at public hearings before the committee to account for its performance. The NCA previously appeared before the committee in June 2009 after taking the initiative to respond to this recommendation themselves.
In line with this arrangement, the National Capital Committee will hear from the National Capital Authority (NCA) and have the opportunity to ask questions at a public hearing on Thursday, 3 December 2009 from 10.00am to 12 Noon in Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra.
The key objective of the NCA is to ensure that Canberra and the Territory are planned and developed in accordance with their national significance and it is essential that the NCA is held to account for its performance against this objective.
This hearing presents a timely opportunity as it will allow the NCA to report back on how it will address issues raised at the public forum, including its performance in managing national land and assets, and promoting Canberra as the National Capital.
Public Hearing Details
Committee: Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories
Venue Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra
Date: Thursday, 3 December 2009
Time: 10.00am to 12 Noon
Webcast: The hearing will be webcast live on http://webcast.aph.gov.au/livebroadcasting/
Canberra’s exquisite design as created by Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahoney Griffin and implemented through the years of the National Capital’s growth rightly inspires loyalty and dedicated commitment from it’s many admirers, fortunately many of whom reside here.
I believe it is a good time to reassert the principals espoused in the Griffins vision and I am confident that the sort of constructive dialogue, considerable experience and poignant reflections on the design of Canberra such as we heard at the public forum will contribute positively to NCA’s task in the future. Please let me know what you thought of the forum by commenting here.
