The ACT Greens have welcomed the launch of the ACT Government’s new Wellbeing Indicators Framework.
ACT Greens leader Shane Rattenbury says it is well and truly time that we measure our progress by more than just money.
“This is a shift that aligns with the core values of the Greens, as we believe Governments should stop solely thinking about economics at the expense of people’s wellbeing and the environment. People and the environment should be at the centre of Government budgets and decision-making.
“We have been advocating for these values our entire 25 years in the ACT Assembly. Values including; the environment, climate change and connection to nature, housing, and social connection,” Rattenbury said.
“The job of the Greens now is to make sure that the Government genuinely implements this wellbeing approach, instead of just talking about it and staying with business as usual.”
The Greens put triple bottom line analysis (TBL) on the agenda for the ACT Government 2 decades ago, and through the 2008 Parliamentary Agreement, it was brought into Government decision-making frameworks.
The Wellbeing Indicators (WI) Framework which has been launched today is essentially TBL 2.0.
The key difference is that the WI framework has started with comprehensive community consultation, to determine the ACT community’s priorities.
This has led to the development of the domains and indicators which reflect community needs and the Government will be reporting against.
“For Wellbeing Indicators to be used meaningfully, it will be vital that ACT budget allocation from here on is determined based on meeting the strategic indicators.
“Economic management should prioritise improving our quality of life, rather than the production and consumption of material goods.”
