← All decisions

1. What was proposedLeanne CastleyLiberal · Opposition
   Read the original wording (250 words)

   That this Assembly: (1) notes: (a) that constituents have raised concern with the poor water quality and inadequate maintenance of Canberra’s major lakes and waterways, including Lake Burley Griffin, Lake Ginninderra, and Lake Tuggeranong; (b) the critical role that clean, safe and accessible water bodies play in supporting options for affordable active recreational opportunities; and (c) that in the context of the cost-of-living crisis and increasingly hot Canberra summers, access to clean, safe and well-maintained public waterways is essential for affordable recreation, social connection and public health, especially for young families; (2) further notes: (a) that poor water quality and limited public information undermine residents’ confidence and willingness in utilising local lakes and waterways; (b) media reports of sick animals and at least one confirmed death of a family pet due to unclean and unsafe water; and (c) that Canberrans and local families deserve lakes and waterways that are clean and safe to enjoy; and (3) calls on the Government to: (a) ensure lakes and waterways are clean and safe this summer; (b) undertake a comprehensive assessment of the current underperforming water quality and maintenance practices across major lakes and waterways; (c) deliver a long-term plan by mid-2026 that ensures clean lakes and waterways for future summers that prioritises the community benefit and enjoyment of waterway leisure; and (d) provide real-time public reporting of water quality across major lakes and waterways so families have up-to-date, accessible information before visiting local lakes and waterways this summer. Debate ensued.

2. Proposed changeThomas EmersonIndependent · Crossbench28 October 2025

   Added the Swimmable Cities Charter, with a report by May 2026. Our summary, review in progress

   The exact wording of this change

   together: 1. After paragraph (2)(c), insert: “(d) the Canberra Wild Swim Club has called on the National Capital Authority and ACT Government to sign onto the Swimmable Cities Charter;”. 2. After paragraph (3)(d), insert: “(e) demonstrate its commitment to safe, healthy and swimmable waterways by considering signing onto the Swimmable Cities Charter and reporting back to the Assembly on this item by May 2026.”.

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

3. Proposed changeAndrew BraddockGreens · Crossbench28 October 2025

   Grouped by key words as: added a new call or point.

   The exact wording of this change

   to the motion, as amended: In paragraph (1)(a), omit “and Lake Tuggeranong”, substitute: “Lake Tuggeranong and Yerrabi Pond”.

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

4. Proposed changeLaura NuttallGreens · Crossbench28 October 2025

   Grouped by key words as: added a new call or point.

   The exact wording of this change

   to the motion, as amended: After paragraph (3)(d), insert: “(e) commit to funding outstanding Healthy Waterways projects from Stage 2 and develop a plan for the next stage of Healthy Waterways by mid-2026;”. Debate continued.

   Not agreed in a recorded vote, 6 to 19.

   Ayes 6

   • Andrew Braddock, Jo Clay, Laura Nuttall, Shane Rattenbury
   • Fiona Carrick, Thomas Emerson

   Noes 19

   • Andrew Barr, Suzanne Orr, Yvette Berry, Marisa Paterson, Michael Pettersson, Tara Cheyne, Chris Steel, Rachel Stephen-Smith, Caitlin Tough, Taimus Werner-Gibbings
   • Deborah Morris, Chiaka Barry, Mark Parton, Peter Cain, Leanne Castley, Ed Cocks, Jeremy Hanson, Elizabeth Lee, James Milligan
5. Proposed changeSuzanne OrrLabor · Minister28 October 2025

   Grouped by key words as: rewrote the proposal, added reporting or consultation.

   Before

   (b) media reports of sick animals and at least one confirmed death of a family pet due to unclean and unsafe water

   After this change

   (b) there have been media reports of sick animals and at least one confirmed death of a family pet due to contact with Tychonema, a type of blue-green algae, at Lake Ginninderra;

   The exact wording of this change

   to the motion, as amended, together: 1. After paragraph (1)(a), insert: “(b) that Canberra’s lakes were originally designed to protect the downstream Murrumbidgee River from the water quality effects of urban development by preventing and trapping pollution; (c) the community expects access to lakes, ponds, and waterways for recreational purposes; (d) that climate change is expected to exacerbate water quality issues including blue-green algal blooms through increased temperatures, increased nutrient levels due to extreme wet/dry periods, increasing stagnation of water bodies, and stronger and more frequent storm events;”. 2. Omit paragraph (2)(b), substitute: “(b) there have been media reports of sick animals and at least one confirmed death of a family pet due to contact with Tychonema, a type of blue-green algae, at Lake Ginninderra;”. 3. Omit paragraph (3)(a), substitute: “(a) work to improve water quality in ACT lakes and waterways to ensure they are as clean and safe as possible this summer;”. 4. In paragraph (3)(b), omit “underperforming”. 5. Omit paragraph (3)(c), substitute: “(c) identify potential projects within current and future stages of the Healthy Waterways program that will improve community benefit and enjoyment of waterway leisure and report back to the Assembly by mid-2026;”. 6. In paragraph (3)(d), omit “families”, substitute: “all Canberrans”, and omit “this summer”. Debate continued.

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

6. 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: (a) that constituents have raised concern with the poor water quality and inadequate maintenance of Canberra’s major lakes and waterways, including Lake Burley Griffin, Lake Ginninderra, Lake Tuggeranong and Yerrabi PondBraddock; (b) that Canberra’s lakes were originally designed to protect the downstream Murrumbidgee River from the water quality effects of urban development by preventing and trapping pollution; (c) the community expects access to lakes, ponds, and waterways for recreational purposes; (d) that climate change is expected to exacerbate water quality issues including blue-green algal blooms through increased temperatures, increased nutrient levels due to extreme wet/dry periods, increasing stagnation of water bodies, and stronger and more frequent storm eventsOrr; (e) the critical role that clean, safe and accessible water bodies play in supporting options for affordable active recreational opportunities; and (f) that in the context of the cost-of-living crisis and increasingly hot Canberra summers, access to clean, safe and well-maintained public waterways is essential for affordable recreation, social connection and public health, especially for young families; (2) further notes: (a) that poor water quality and limited public information undermine residents’ confidence and willingness in utilising local lakes and waterways; (b) there have been media reports of sick animals and at least one confirmed death of a family pet due to contact with Tychonema, a type of blue-green algae, at Lake GinninderraOrr; (c) that Canberrans and local families deserve lakes and waterways that are clean and safe to enjoy; and (d) the Canberra Wild Swim Club has called on the National Capital Authority and ACT Government to sign onto the Swimmable Cities CharterEmerson; and (3) calls on the Government to: (a) work to improve water quality in ACT lakes and waterways to ensure they are as clean and safe as possible this summerOrr; (b) undertake a comprehensive assessment of the current water quality and maintenance practices across major lakes and waterways; (c) identify potential projects within current and future stages of the Healthy Waterways program that will improve community benefit and enjoyment of waterway leisure and report back to the Assembly by mid-2026Orr; (d) provide real-time public reporting of water quality across major lakes and waterways so all CanberransOrr have up-to-date, accessible information before visiting local lakes and waterways; and (e) demonstrate its commitment to safe, healthy and swimmable waterways by considering signing onto the Swimmable Cities Charter and reporting back to the Assembly on this item by May 2026Emerson.

   Original and final wording compared

   taken out put in

   That this Assembly: (1) notes: (a) that constituents have raised concern with the poor water quality and inadequate maintenance of Canberra’s major lakes and waterways, including Lake Burley Griffin, Lake Ginninderra, [taken out: and]Lake Tuggeranong [put in: and Yerrabi Pond;](b) [put in: that Canberra’s lakes were originally designed to protect]the [put in: downstream Murrumbidgee River from the water quality effects of urban development by preventing and trapping pollution; (c) the community expects access to lakes, ponds, and waterways for recreational purposes; (d) that climate change is expected to exacerbate water quality issues including blue-green algal blooms through increased temperatures, increased nutrient levels due to extreme wet/dry periods, increasing stagnation of water bodies, and stronger and more frequent storm events; (e) the]critical role that clean, safe and accessible water bodies play in supporting options for affordable active recreational opportunities; and [taken out: (c)][put in: (f)]that in the context of the cost-of-living crisis and increasingly hot Canberra summers, access to clean, safe and well-maintained public waterways is essential for affordable recreation, social connection and public health, especially for young families; (2) further notes: (a) that poor water quality and limited public information undermine residents’ confidence and willingness in utilising local lakes and waterways; (b) [put in: there have been]media reports of sick animals and at least one confirmed death of a family pet due to [taken out: unclean and unsafe water; and][put in: contact with Tychonema, a type of blue-green algae, at Lake Ginninderra;](c) that Canberrans and local families deserve lakes and waterways that are clean and safe to enjoy; and [put in: (d) the Canberra Wild Swim Club has called on the National Capital Authority and ACT Government to sign onto the Swimmable Cities Charter; and](3) calls on the Government to: (a) [taken out: ensure][put in: work to improve water quality in ACT]lakes and waterways [put in: to ensure they]are [put in: as]clean and safe [put in: as possible]this summer; (b) undertake a comprehensive assessment of the current [taken out: underperforming]water quality and maintenance practices across major lakes and waterways; (c) [taken out: deliver a long-term plan by mid-2026 that ensures clean lakes][put in: identify potential projects within current]and [taken out: waterways for]future [taken out: summers that prioritises][put in: stages of]the [put in: Healthy Waterways program that will improve]community benefit and enjoyment of waterway leisure and [put in: report back to the Assembly by mid-2026;](d) provide real-time public reporting of water quality across major lakes and waterways so [taken out: families][put in: all Canberrans]have up-to-date, accessible information before visiting local lakes and waterways; [put in: and (e) demonstrate its commitment to safe, healthy and swimmable waterways by considering signing onto the Swimmable Cities Charter and reporting back to the Assembly on]this [taken out: summer. Debate ensued.][put in: item by May 2026.]

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