Page 3830 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 30 November 2021
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Detail stage
Schedule 1—Appropriations—Proposed expenditure.
Debate resumed from 25 November 2021.
City Renewal Authority—Part 1.14.
MADAM SPEAKER: Members, I remind you that in debating order the of the day No 1, executive business, you may also address your remarks to executive business order of the day No 2. The question before you is that the proposed expenditure for the City Renewal Authority, part 1.14, be agreed.
MS CLAY (Ginninderra) (11.12): The revitalisation and investment in public art has been a delightful part of the City Renewal Authority’s work. It is great to see funding going to local artists to help rejuvenate our under-utilised spaces like Garema Place. Urban revitalisation is underway in Civic, along London Circuit in city west and extending to the Acton waterfront. Turning surface car parks next to the light rail corridor into residential and commercial spaces is common sense if we want to tackle urban sprawl and enable transit-oriented development.
I hear from many of my colleagues who live in the inner north about how much they appreciate the reactivations happening in places like Haig Park. The planned upgrades for the Sydney and Melbourne buildings are a good way of better using these unique heritage buildings in our city’s heart. Those in Braddon will be looking forward to upgrades on Lonsdale Street. The ACT Greens went to the 2020 election with ambitious policies on reshaping this space. While the final version is different from what we had in mind, I am sure that the addition of better access for active travel will make this space more inviting.
I know that many other town centres are also receiving investment. Woden, in particular, has benefited. I wonder if the great success of the City Renewal Authority could be replicated in some of our older town centres which are due to receive upgrades in future years, such as Belconnen. I look forward to continuing to watch the work of the City Renewal Authority progress and I welcome initiatives to bring more art, more active travel and more activation into our town centres.
MR CAIN (Ginninderra) (11.14): As I have said before, I question the need for the City Renewal Authority. As members would be aware, we had a Land Development Agency that was fragmented into the Suburban Land Agency, the City Renewal Authority, and two paths in the planning directorate. I would encourage the various ministers involved with the activities of the City Renewal Authority to get out to the suburbs, particularly the outer suburbs. Canberra is more than just a city; it is the suburbs. It is my opinion that we need a whole-of-Canberra planning authority, as opposed to a segmented approach.
Proposed expenditure agreed to.
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