Page 1393 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 12 May 2021
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(d) there is a particular need for more parking for customer access to support local businesses on the foreshore;
(e) in 2013, the ACT Government undertook planning work for extra parking at Yerrabi Pond with up to 28 new spots in the grassed median area of Nellie Hamilton Drive;
(f) the Government also undertook community consultation and acknowledged it was a priority issue;
(g) eight years later, local businesses and the community are waiting for the parking issue to be addressed;
(h) parking remains a challenge for business owners, some of whom have chosen to relocate; and
(i) the Gungahlin Community Council listed extra parking at Nellie Hamilton Drive as a priority issue in its 2013-14 budget submission; and
(3) calls on the ACT Government to:
(a) continue consulting with the Gungahlin community on improvements to Yerrabi Pond including parking and improvements, with design and construction to follow; and
(b) continue to invest in Yerrabi Pond, based on priorities identified through community consultation.”
MR BRADDOCK (Yerrabi) (4.00): I also thank Ms Castley for bringing forward this motion. It seems to be another day and another discussion about Gungahlin, which is absolutely fantastic. Yerrabi Pond and the businesses that abut it are much loved and frequented. I have spent much time down there and I can particularly recommend the sublime lamb shanks at Da Nunzio’s; they are very nice.
The Greens took a substantial package to the election to revitalise the Yerrabi Pond area. This included an investment in, amongst other things, lighting to improve the safety of people to use Yerrabi Pond to exercise, connect and play at all hours, not just during daylight; public realm infrastructure, including toilets, park benches, playground facilities and signage for the pathways; and economic activation through more eating options.
The $300,000 announced in the recent budget is welcomed but only represents the start. As the population of Gungahlin dramatically expands, the demand for quality green space and those businesses that abut it becomes unstoppable. Quality green spaces are essential for community health, both physical and mental, particularly for those that live in apartments—and that is one thing Gungahlin has a lot of. Therefore, the Greens see that investment as an initial down payment that only goes so far in meeting the community’s expectations.
The issue of parking in this area has come to my attention from the efforts of the local residents, and I thank them. But the question is: where in the priorities for investment in the Yerrabi Pond area does parking come? To answer this question I will refer to the Friends of Yerrabi Pond who, after surveys and discussions with hundreds of regular users of Yerrabi Pond, have provided the government with a prioritised list. I will read the top 10 from that list: number one, replace existing toilets at Yerrabi
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