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1. What was proposedShane RattenburyGreens · Crossbench
   Read the original wording (450 words)

   That this Assembly: (1) notes that: (a) community members from Dickson, including the area’s residents’ association, have raised significant concerns about the current physical state of the Dickson shops and issues of anti-social behaviour and community safety; (b) issues highlighted by residents include general safety concerns and a lack of maintenance in the shopping precinct’s amenities, from footpaths to graffiti; (c) the local community is concerned that the high cost of living is playing a significant role in causing the issues in the area, from homelessness to struggling businesses; and (d) these issues have been compounded by high commercial rents leading to a significant increase in vacant shops around the original Dickson shopping precinct; (2) further notes that: (a) government has a responsibility to ensure local shops are hubs for the community, providing services and amenity for the residents; (b) there is a need for improved homelessness support services to ensure people can thrive in our community; (c) there is also a need for better planning and business support to ensure a sustainable business environment; (d) local community members are against a “law and order” approach to homelessness and similarly do not want a “band-aid” solution for the business issues in the area; (e) the challenges faced by Canberrans at Dickson shops are systemic and are a result of increasing social and economic inequality, which the Government must address; (f) the ACT Government has committed to and has run consultation on delivering a new Dickson Place Plan which seeks to revitalise much of the shopping area; and (g) following advocacy from community groups, the ACT Government has agreed to establish a much needed cross-directorate task force to create meaningful and lasting improvements in the Dickson shops precinct; and (3) calls on the ACT Government to: (a) report back to the Assembly and the Dickson community by August 2025 on the progress of the taskforce and what meaningful steps have been taken to make lasting improvements for people and businesses at Dickson shopping precinct; (b) ensure the taskforce engages directly with affected communities and operationalises feedback directly into work undertaken at Dickson shops; (c) enhance targeted homelessness, drug and alcohol, and mental health services in the Dickson precinct to ensure a place-based approach to support services; (d) meet with the landlords of the shopping centre to discuss mechanisms to lower commercial rent in the shopping precinct and lower shopfront vacancies; (e) enter discussions directly with shop owners in the Dickson shopping precinct to ensure any future works in the area do not compound these current issues; and (f) use experience gained in this approach at Dickson to assist with problems at other shopping precincts across Canberra.

2. Proposed changeAndrew BarrLabor · Minister6 March 2025

   Grouped by key words as: rewrote the proposal, changed a date or deadline, added reporting or consultation, turned an action into a review.

   Before

   (d) these issues have been compounded by high commercial rents leading to a significant increase in vacant shops around the original Dickson shopping precinct

   After this change

   (d) these challenges have been exacerbated by businesses grappling with the cost of commercial rent, which may be contributing to the growing number of vacant shops in the original Dickson precinct; (e) the departure of a number of financial institutions have resulted in increased tenancy vacancies

   The exact wording of this change

   together: 1. Omit all text in paragraph (1)(d), substitute: “(d) these challenges have been exacerbated by businesses grappling with the cost of commercial rent, which may be contributing to the growing number of vacant shops in the original Dickson precinct; (e) the departure of a number of financial institutions have resulted in increased tenancy vacancies”. 2. Omit all text in paragraph (2)(g), substitute: “(g) through consultation and following advocacy from community groups, the ACT Government has agreed to establish a much-needed cross directorate working group to create meaningful and lasting improvements in the Dickson shops precinct”. 3. Omit all text after “(3) calls on the ACT Government to:”, substitute: “(a) report back to the Assembly and the Dickson community by October 2025 on the progress of the working group and what meaningful steps have been taken to make lasting improvements for people and businesses at Dickson shopping precinct, including any available government data; (b) ensure the working group engages directly with affected communities and operationalises feedback directly into work undertaken at Dickson shops; (c) enhance targeted homelessness, drug and alcohol, and mental health services in the Dickson precinct to ensure a place-based approach to support services; (d) meet with the landlords of the shopping centre to discuss how they could better assist business owners to deal with cost pressures; (e) enter discussions directly with shop owners in the Dickson shopping precinct to ensure any future works in the area do not compound these current issues; and (f) use experience gained in this approach at Dickson to assist with problems at other shopping precincts across Canberra; and (4) calls on Dickson commercial landlords to consider how to better assist small business to deal with cost pressures, lower shopfront vacancies and increase stability of tenure for business.”. Debate continued.

   Agreed on the voices. No individual votes were recorded. Some of its wording is in the final text.

3. Proposed changeThomas EmersonIndependent · Crossbench6 March 2025

   Noted that more police presence may help until support services take effect; added footpath and mobility access, pedestrian planning and construction access; asked for a 2026 report with data. Our summary, review in progress

   The exact wording of this change

   together: 1. Add at the end of paragraph (2)(d): “, although an increased police presence in Dickson may enhance feelings of community safety, including with respect to non- criminal antisocial behaviour, until such a time as the benefits of wraparound place- based support services take effect;”. 2. Insert new paragraph after paragraph (2)(e): “(f) community members have also raised concerns about the inaccessibility of the Dickson shops for residents with mobility restrictions due to the area’s poorly maintained and incomplete footpath network;”. 3. Insert the following new paragraphs after paragraph (3)(e): “(f) engage in sufficient forward planning to maintain and improve pedestrian access to the Dickson shops, particularly for community members with mobility restrictions; (g) ensure that any construction works in the area address community concerns about pedestrian accessibility and enable foot traffic to, and throughout, the Dickson shops; (h) report back to the Assembly again in the first sitting week of 2026 with available data trends demonstrating the impact of the cross-directorate working group, such as statistics showing the level of local health, mental health and homelessness service provision; police complaints about antisocial behaviour, security incidents and bicycle thefts; and commercial vacancy rates at the Dickson shops; and”. Debate continued.

   Agreed on the voices. No individual votes were recorded. Its wording is in the final text.

4. What the Assembly decidedAgreed

   Decided on the voices: no individual votes were recorded, so this doesn’t show that every MLA agreed.

   Final agreed wording, with changes marked

   That this Assembly: (1) notes that: (a) community members from Dickson, including the area’s residents’ association, have raised significant concerns about the current physical state of the Dickson shops and issues of anti-social behaviour and community safety; (b) issues highlighted by residents include general safety concerns and a lack of maintenance in the shopping precinct’s amenities, from footpaths to graffiti; (c) the local community is concerned that the high cost of living is playing a significant role in causing the issues in the area, from homelessness to struggling businesses; (d) these challenges have been exacerbated by businesses grappling with the cost of commercial rent, which may be contributing to the growing number of vacant shops in the original Dickson precinct; and (e) the departure of a number of financial institutions have resulted in increased tenancy vacancies; (2) further notes that: (a) government has a responsibility to ensure local shops are hubs for the community, providing services and amenity for the residents; (b) there is a need for improved homelessness support services to ensure people can thrive in our community; (c) there is also a need for better planning and business support to ensure a sustainable business environment; (d) local community members are against a “law and order” approach to homelessness and similarly do not want a “band-aid” solution for the business issues in the area, although an increased police presence in Dickson may enhance feelings of community safety, including with respect to non-criminal antisocial behaviour, until such a time as the benefits of wraparound place-based support services take effect; (e) the challenges faced by Canberrans at Dickson shops are systemic and are a result of increasing social and economic inequality, which the Government must address; (f) community members have also raised concerns about the inaccessibility of the Dickson shops for residents with mobility restrictions due to the area’s poorly maintained and incomplete footpath networkEmerson; (g) the ACT Government has committed to and has run consultation on delivering a new Dickson Place Plan which seeks to revitalise much of the shopping area; and (h) through consultation and following advocacy from community groups, the ACT Government has agreed to establish a much-needed cross directorate working group to create meaningful and lasting improvements in the Dickson shops precinct; (3) calls on the ACT Government to: (a) report back to the Assembly and the Dickson community by October 2025 on the progress of the working group and what meaningful steps have been taken to make lasting improvements for people and businesses at Dickson shopping precinct, including any available government data; (b) ensure the working group engages directly with affected communities and operationalises feedback directly into work undertaken at Dickson shops; (c) enhance targeted homelessness, drug and alcohol, and mental health services in the Dickson precinct to ensure a place-based approach to support services; (d) meet with the landlords of the shopping centre to discuss how they could better assist business owners to deal with cost pressures; (e) enter discussions directly with shop owners in the Dickson shopping precinct to ensure any future works in the area do not compound these current issues; (f) engage in sufficient forward planning to maintain and improve pedestrian access to the Dickson shops, particularly for community members with mobility restrictions; (g) ensure that any construction works in the area address community concerns about pedestrian accessibility and enable foot traffic to, and throughout, the Dickson shops; (h) report back to the Assembly again in the first sitting week of 2026 with available data trends demonstrating the impact of the cross-directorate working group, such as statistics showing the level of local health, mental health and homelessness service provision; police complaints about antisocial behaviour, security incidents and bicycle thefts; and commercial vacancy rates at the Dickson shops; andEmerson (i) use experience gained in this approach at Dickson to assist with problems at other shopping precincts across Canberra; and (4) calls on Dickson commercial landlords to consider how to better assist small business to deal with cost pressures, lower shopfront vacancies and increase stability of tenure for business.

   Original and final wording compared

   taken out put in

   That this Assembly: (1) notes that: (a) community members from Dickson, including the area’s residents’ association, have raised significant concerns about the current physical state of the Dickson shops and issues of anti-social behaviour and community safety; (b) issues highlighted by residents include general safety concerns and a lack of maintenance in the shopping precinct’s amenities, from footpaths to graffiti; (c) the local community is concerned that the high cost of living is playing a significant role in causing the issues in the area, from homelessness to struggling businesses; [taken out: and](d) these [taken out: issues][put in: challenges]have been [taken out: compounded][put in: exacerbated]by [taken out: high][put in: businesses grappling with the cost of]commercial [taken out: rents leading][put in: rent, which may be contributing]to [taken out: a significant increase in][put in: the growing number of]vacant shops [taken out: around][put in: in]the original Dickson [taken out: shopping]precinct; [put in: and (e) the departure of a number of financial institutions have resulted in increased tenancy vacancies;](2) further notes that: (a) government has a responsibility to ensure local shops are hubs for the community, providing services and amenity for the residents; (b) there is a need for improved homelessness support services to ensure people can thrive in our community; (c) there is also a need for better planning and business support to ensure a sustainable business environment; (d) local community members are against a “law and order” approach to homelessness and similarly do not want a “band-aid” solution for the business issues in the area, [put in: although an increased police presence in Dickson may enhance feelings of community safety, including with respect to non-criminal antisocial behaviour, until such a time as the benefits of wraparound place-based support services take effect;](e) the challenges faced by Canberrans at Dickson shops are systemic and are a result of increasing social and economic inequality, which the Government must address; (f) [put in: community members have also raised concerns about]the [put in: inaccessibility of the Dickson shops for residents with mobility restrictions due to the area’s poorly maintained and incomplete footpath network; (g) the]ACT Government has committed to and has run consultation on delivering a new Dickson Place Plan which seeks to revitalise much of the shopping area; and [taken out: (g)][put in: (h) through consultation and]following advocacy from community groups, the ACT Government has agreed to establish a [taken out: much needed cross-directorate task force][put in: much-needed cross directorate working group]to create meaningful and lasting improvements in the Dickson shops precinct; [taken out: and](3) calls on the ACT Government to: (a) report back to the Assembly and the Dickson community by [taken out: August][put in: October]2025 on the progress of the [taken out: taskforce][put in: working group]and what meaningful steps have been taken to make lasting improvements for people and businesses at Dickson shopping precinct, [put in: including any available government data;](b) ensure the [taken out: taskforce][put in: working group]engages directly with affected communities and operationalises feedback directly into work undertaken at Dickson shops; (c) enhance targeted homelessness, drug and alcohol, and mental health services in the Dickson precinct to ensure a place-based approach to support services; (d) meet with the landlords of the shopping centre to discuss [taken out: mechanisms][put in: how they could better assist business owners]to [taken out: lower commercial rent in the shopping precinct and lower shopfront vacancies;][put in: deal with cost pressures;](e) enter discussions directly with shop owners in the Dickson shopping precinct to ensure any future works in the area do not compound these current issues; [taken out: and](f) [put in: engage in sufficient forward planning to maintain and improve pedestrian access to the Dickson shops, particularly for community members with mobility restrictions; (g) ensure that any construction works in the area address community concerns about pedestrian accessibility and enable foot traffic to, and throughout, the Dickson shops; (h) report back to the Assembly again in the first sitting week of 2026 with available data trends demonstrating the impact of the cross-directorate working group, such as statistics showing the level of local health, mental health and homelessness service provision; police complaints about antisocial behaviour, security incidents and bicycle thefts; and commercial vacancy rates at the Dickson shops; and (i)]use experience gained in this approach at Dickson to assist with problems at other shopping precincts across Canberra; [put in: and (4) calls on Dickson commercial landlords to consider how to better assist small business to deal with cost pressures, lower shopfront vacancies and increase stability of tenure for business.]

   Compared word by word by computer, ignoring punctuation. It shows what differs, not which change made each difference; the steps above show that.