Sixty-ninth Annual Report

Australian Government Solicitor Property and Infrastructure Seminar

On 16 March 2005, the Chair spoke at the Australian Government Solicitor Property and Infrastructure Seminar, held in Canberra, ACT. The seminar was aimed at property and asset managers and those involved in property and infrastructure funding. It addressed issues pertinent to Commonwealth Government property and infrastructure procurement, including sessions on:

• managing the Commonwealth's property;
• an analysis of different procurement methods and associated risks; and
• options for funding infrastructure.

The Chair addressed seminar attendees on the role of the Committee and the challenges facing it in the current property procurement environment.

National Conference of Parliamentary Environment and Public Works Committees

The Tenth Annual Conference of Parliamentary Environment and Public Works Committees was hosted by the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory. It was held in Canberra from 28 to 30 September 2005.

The conference was attended by delegates from the relevant parliamentary committees of the Commonwealth, and of all Australian States and Territories. The Committee was represented at the conference by staff of the Secretariat.

The theme of the 2005 conference was Sustainability and Bushfire Recovery. The programme included addresses by:

• Mr John Stanhope MLA, ACT Chief Minister;
• Mr Stuart Ellis AM, Chair, National Bushfire Inquiry;
• Mr Sandy Holloway; Chair, Shaping Our Territory Working Group, ACT Government;
• Mr John Mackay, Chief Executive Officer, ActewAGL;
• Mr Jim Gould and Dr John Raison, CSIRO Forestry and Fire Project;
• Ms Lyn Breuer, Presiding Member, Environment, Resources and Development Committee, Parliament of SA;
• Mr Hilton Taylor, ACT Forests;
• Mr Paul Lewis, ACT Planning and Land Authority;
• Mr Barton Williams, VicUrban;
• Mr Rod Hillman, Arts, Heritage and Environment;
• Ms Mary Porter AM MLA, Member ACT Legislative Assembly Standing Committee on Planning and Environment;
• Dr Susan Nicholls, University of Canberra;
• Ms Chris Healy, ACT Chief Minister's Department; and
• Mr Chris Stamford, The Phoenix Association.

In addition to the addresses listed above, the programme included a field trip to visit areas and infrastructure in and around the ACT, which are recovering from the 2003 bushfires. Commentary was provided by ACT Government officials and relevant experts.

At the conclusion of the conference, delegates expressed their gratitude to the Act Legislative Assembly for hosting a highly informative and successful event. The 2006 conference will be hosted by the Parliament of Queensland.