Canberra: A Statement of Ambition'. What does it mean?
Last Thursday, ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr delivered the annual (and pithily titled) State of the Territory address from The Hyatt Hotel.
As part of this talk – which covered many of the government’s own achievements and laid out plans for the rest of the 2016 election year, Mr Barr also released a new document – Canberra: A Statement of Ambition.
The document was created in collaboration with Dr Tim Williams, chief executive of the Committee for Sydney. Dr Williams has spent much of the last couple of years developing a masterplan for Sydney, and brought his expertise to Canberra to assist with a vision for the National Capital.
This is a clear articulation of policy across many of our current and developing industries. The document covers four ‘directions of travel’ that to local business where the city is headed under the stewardship of Andrew Barr. The ‘directions’ and their subsequent components are as follows:
1. We must attract and retain the talented people
Including:
- The CBR Innovation Network
- The Small Business Innovation Partnerships Program
- Significant new investment in public housing stock
- Expansion of student housing in the heart of the city
- A thriving arts scene
- Becoming a world leader in science and technology
2. We must continue to open and diversify our local economy
Including:
- Inclusivity
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Enterprise
- Citizen-centred/single-interface iConnect
- A Canberra commitment to inclusion
- Branding Canberra
- Creating more opportunities for private investment in the capital
- Canberra as a city committed to renewable energy
3. We must deliver better metropolitan infrastructure
This includes:
- Canberra promoting active transport
- Transforming Canberra Airport and the region’s links with the world
- Canberra with regulated ridesharing, the first Australian jurisdiction
- A grand design
- That ‘higher density’ does not mean ‘high rise’
- Integrated urban renewal plans for Civic and ‘City to Lake’
- Planning for One Canberra as a network of diverse communities
4. We must embrace the digital mindset
This includes:
- Developing digital skills and aptitudes in our leading edge schools.
- Digital Canberra and the smart city opportunity assessment
All of these ‘directions’ and their components are discussed at length within The Statement of Ambition, and this is essential reading for those looking to interface with the ACT Government.
Despite the looming election, it is worth examining the potential for your business to align with these aims. This is a strong statement of intent, and there will be plenty of opportunities to pursue in coming years given the (currently) likely event the Labor Government is returned.