Page 2040 - Week 07 - Thursday, 24 June 2021
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However, in the long term, we know that that site is not going to be available, because it will be redeveloped into recreational facilities and housing for the growing Ginninderry region—indeed for the rest of west Belconnen. That is why the planning work is also looking at additional sites around the north of Canberra, with a particular focus on the west Belconnen region, with a view to making sure that we have appropriate combined waste facilities that are available for the people of Belconnen and Ginninderry as well as Gungahlin in the future.
We recognise that there has not been alignment of that piece of work. That is why we have put in place measures to extend those services for people on the north side in the interim.
MRS KIKKERT: Minister, what assistance will the government now offer CSG to help them relocate, given that they have said they want to stay in the west Belconnen area?
MR STEEL: I thank the member for her question. Through officials, we will continue to have discussions with Canberra Sand and Gravel about their services into the future and those sites which I have mentioned. We have been clear with them, though, that in the long term, in relation to Parkwood, we will not be able to have those facilities there. In the short and medium terms, of course, there are options, and we are talking with them about how they can continue—as part of the extension of services—the availability of composting and green waste drop-off. But we also recognise that they have other business concerns or other services that they want to offer. I know that those are potentially services that new residents in Ginninderry may benefit from. We are working on that with them. We will look at how we can facilitate that.
We have funded Canberra Sand and Gravel to deliver these services—the green waste drop-off and composting—under our existing contract and through the extensions. We will work with them on what is appropriate, and I will be advised on what is appropriate in relation to procurement.
MR CAIN: Minister, is this yet another display of your ministerial style, where you make massively unpopular decisions without consultation—
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Cain, can you start again? I missed the first bit.
MR CAIN: I will gladly start again, Madam Speaker. Minister, is this yet another display of your ministerial style, where you make massively unpopular decisions without consultation and then backflip when the community reacts, just like you did with Coolo Park?
MR STEEL: No. What we are showing is that we listen to the community, and we are undertaking long-term planning to make sure that we meet the needs of our growing city. Yes, that will mean sometimes that—because of the rehabilitation of an old landfill site, for example, which is absolutely critical because it has reached its end of life—we will need to make tough decisions and work with the community and
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