By Jorian Gardner
NEWLY appointed executive director of the ACT Conservation Council Catherine Potter and the council’s board have come out swinging in the lead up to the ACT election.
Ms Potter is lobbying candidates of all persuasions to adopt the council’s environmental recommendations about various issues that, she believes, the ACT public is passionate.
She’s has released a synopsis of the key environment policy recommendations the council will put to candidates for the October poll.  She’s hoping she can influence the future agenda in the Assembly –particularly on the Central Molonglo issue.
“The Conservation Council’s election policy recommendations cover six main areas of environmental concern to the ACT community,” said Ms Potter. “These range from planning, transport and climate change, to biodiversity, water and waste.
“Our top priority policy is no urban development in Central Molonglo and protection in perpetuity of all the yellow box and red gum woodlands in this area. This is a nationally endangered ecological community – and it is the ACT’s responsibility to protect these woodlands for the national interest.”
Potter says she is in agreement with the NCA which recently thwarted plans by the ACT Government to have a footnote inserted on the Territory Plan that allowed for the government of the day to re-look at possible redevelopment of Central Molonglo in 20 years. 
A fight broke out between Planning Minister Andrew Barr and NCA authorities over the issue, with Barr having to fend off questions of a further rift when he was forced to back down.
“We support the NCA in their approach to not allowing any development of the Central Molonglo area. Full stop,” said Potter.
The new council head has a long track record on the environment having worked at, among other environmentally related positions, with the Commonwealth Department of Environment for nearly 15 years.
“I did everything from setting up endangered species campaigns and spearheading national education programs,” she said. “I worked heavily on natural resource management – a big, broad range of issues, really.”
“The ACT election is my first focus in my new role – and encouraging candidates to consider their environment policy when going into the forthcoming election, running forums for them and the like.”
Potter and the council also have light rail firmly at the top of their agenda.
“The time is right for light rail,” says Potter. “We have partnered with the Canberra Business Council to help lobby the ACT Government on the issue. The really big sticking point is not so much if a transport system like this a good idea – but how do we fund it?  So it requires partnership with, and assistance from, the Commonwealth.”
It must be easy for an outsider to confuse the Conservation Council for a pseudo arm of The Greens?
“Well, we have a relationship with all groups if we can and, of course, we can’t help but encourage The Greens policy, but I have to say we don’t want to be seen to be aligned with them in any way. 
“We are interested in what everyone has to say, including the independents, and there are some good strong alternative candidates starting to emerge, we believe. We care about the actual environmental policies – not the party.”