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Governing the City State - Chief Minister and Treasury Directorate ...

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oad commitment is not being translated into action in a coherent or strategic whole ofgovernment manner <strong>and</strong> consequently its performance is uneven. This will remain achallenge for <strong>the</strong> ACTPS into <strong>the</strong> future.Role of <strong>the</strong> Commissioner for Sustainability <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> EnvironmentThe Commissioner for Sustainability <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> Environment’s statutory functions comprise:• investigating complaints about <strong>the</strong> management of <strong>the</strong> environment by <strong>the</strong>Territory or a Territory authority;• conducting investigations as directed by <strong>the</strong> <strong>Minister</strong>; <strong>and</strong>• conducting, on <strong>the</strong> Commissioner’s own initiative, investigations into actions ofan agency where those actions would have a substantial impact on <strong>the</strong>environment of <strong>the</strong> ACT. 397In 2007, <strong>the</strong> Office was <strong>the</strong> subject of a comprehensive review, undertaken by Darro Stinson(<strong>the</strong> Stinson Review) which made five recommendations, two of which were directed ataugmenting environmental sustainability:The Commissioner for <strong>the</strong> Environment should now incorporate duties relating tosustainability <strong>and</strong> will be referred to as <strong>the</strong> Commissioner for <strong>the</strong> Environment <strong>and</strong>Sustainability. 398Implementation of sustainability frameworks requires a whole-of-governmentapproach. Each agency should be required to prepare a framework documentoutlining how <strong>the</strong>y will contribute to whole-of-government direction regardingenvironment <strong>and</strong> sustainability. 399Following release of <strong>the</strong> Stinson Review, <strong>the</strong> <strong>Chief</strong> <strong>Minister</strong> announced an exp<strong>and</strong>ed role for<strong>the</strong> Commissioner for <strong>the</strong> Environment:On <strong>the</strong> basis of that review it had been decided to significantly exp<strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> role of <strong>the</strong>Commissioner, making it a full-time position, to be known as Commissioner forSustainability <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> Environment. The position may also incorporate some elementsof <strong>the</strong> current role of Conservator of Flora <strong>and</strong> Fauna, following <strong>the</strong> completion of <strong>the</strong>review of <strong>the</strong> Nature Conservation Act. Fur<strong>the</strong>r work will be required to flesh out <strong>the</strong>exp<strong>and</strong>ed role, including some legislative changes. 400On 21 November 2007, <strong>the</strong> Assembly noted “that <strong>the</strong> Government will amend <strong>the</strong>Commissioner for <strong>the</strong> Environment Act 1993 to exp<strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> role of <strong>the</strong> Commissioner toinclude responsibility specifically for sustainability <strong>and</strong> will consult widely with <strong>the</strong>Government, business <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> broader community on <strong>the</strong> scope of legislative change”. 401397 See http://www.legislation.act.gov.au/a/1993-37/default.asp398 Stinson, D. (2007). Review of <strong>the</strong> role of <strong>the</strong> Commissioner for <strong>the</strong> Environment. ACT Government, Canberra, p. 4.399 Stinson, D. (2007) p. 6.400 Stanhope, J. MLA (2007) Bigger Role for New Commissioner for Environmenthttp://www.chiefminister.act.gov.au/media.php?v=5951401 See http://www.hansard.act.gov.au/hansard/2007/week12/3598.htmSustainability, Housing Affordability <strong>and</strong> Transport: 299

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