Page 3087 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 9 November 2021
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table. They held a community barbecue with the Belconnen Community Council and a lot of locals. They made a Facebook page so that everybody can share their vision together.
They have thought really hard about what they want and what the problem is. They have even had a chat to a lot of people in the playground business to see whether it would work. They have the support of hundreds in their neighbourhood. They actually ran three petitions. I have tabled the Legislative Assembly official petition that has 251 signatures, but they also ran an alternative e-petition that has 185 signatures and a regular paper petition with 95 signatures. In total, across all of these petitions, they have got 531 signatures.
Tim and Hector took this issue from Hosking Place to the Assembly. I am asking the Assembly to take it one step further. Usually, only official Assembly petitions with 500 signatures are referred to a committee for consideration. It is a really important step, because it means that the Assembly recognises the issue, the government must respond and the committee may run an inquiry. I know that usually we only refer official petitions with 500 signatures, but we have made exceptions before and I ask the Assembly to make one again. I seek leave to table two out-of-order petitions along the same lines as the one just tabled.
Leave granted.
MS CLAY: I table the following out-of-order petitions:
Petitions which do not conform with the standing orders—Melba recreational space (185 and 95 signatures).
MR CAIN (Ginninderra) (10.11): I wholeheartedly endorse Ms Clay’s petition and the work of Hector and Timothy in Melba. It has been great to see. I still recall a barbecue gathering one Saturday morning when four of the Ginninderra members were able to attend and provide support for this wonderful initiative. Particularly with a planning regime where backyard spaces are diminishing in our community, to have these dedicated recreational spaces that are available to all ages and all abilities is a wonderful initiative.
Hector and Timothy put together a wonderful submission, lodged earlier this year, called the “Melba district inclusive community playground”, which I endorse to the Assembly. I will be supporting Ms Clay’s motion later today, subject to its wording, of course, to say that these community spaces that have been really badly let go are deserving of enhancement and that we must listen to the community about what they would like to see in their neighbourhoods. It is a wonderful initiative and it is great to see. I endorse what Ms Clay said about community initiatives, listening to the community about how they would like their neighbourhoods and suburbs to look and seeing what we can do to support that.
Play spaces—Fadden Hills Pond—petition 27-21
MS LAWDER (Brindabella) (10.12): I would like to speak on the petition tabled in my name regarding the Fadden Pond playground. There is a tower as part of the
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