Greens leader Shane Rattenbury. The Canberra Liberals have accused the Greens of copying their Putting Your Suburb First policy. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
ACT Greens leader Shane Rattenbury says his party will set aside $40 million for suburb-level projects chosen by local residents if a Greens-led government is elected in October 2024.
“Every suburb will receive a budget, relative to its size, for use on whatever the local residents would like,” he said.
“This could include local projects, initiatives, facilities, activities, services or events. Let your imaginations run wild.
“This will be in addition to the normal suburban upkeep activities like maintaining footpaths and mowing public parklands. It’s also on top of any other bigger projects the government may commit to for the district or city as a whole.”
Under the Greens proposal, volunteer-run district community councils would undertake community consultation rather than administration, as they’d be provided with secretariat and other support by the ACT public service.
A citizens’ jury would also be established to consider reforms to community councils and consultation models that would improve community-led decision-making.
The Canberra Liberals claimed this pledge was a “poor copycat” of the Liberals’ Putting Your Suburb First policy, which they announced in November 2023.
“We would fund local projects that have been nominated by the local community because we know those Canberrans are the ones who know what they need in their local neighbourhood,” Liberals leader Elizabeth Lee said.
ACT Greens candidates (back) MLAs Rebecca Vassarotti, Shane Rattenbury, Andrew Braddock and Jo Clay with (front) new candidates Soelily Consen-Lynch, Adele Sinclair and Sam Nugent. Photo: Claire Fenwicke.
She also accused the Greens of copying the Liberals’ public transport policy.
“The ACT Greens sometimes forget they’ve been in government since 2012 … I think Canberrans should wake up and see … they’re clearly trying to position themselves as an opposition.”
One Greens election candidate who has not been in government is Scullin resident Adele Sinclair, who is vying to represent the electorate of Ginninderra, based around Belconnen.
“Our volunteer-run district community councils are a crucial foundation for grassroots democracy in Canberra, especially in the absence of local government councils,” Ms Sinclair said.
“But they are also under-resourced, with the expectations and demands placed on volunteers frequently going beyond what the average person can contribute.
“It’s essential that we support, enable and invigorate our district community councils so they can function well, facilitate community-led decision-making – and with the money the Greens are committing to our suburbs, help deliver new initiatives that locals want.”
The Greens say this is the first of several initiatives that will be announced during the election campaign to improve the amenity of public land in Canberra’s suburbs.
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