Page 4066 - Week 13 - Thursday, 2 December 2021
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
also promised a “listening report” by October which we are yet to see. Minister, has the report been released; and if not, why not?
MR STEEL: I thank the member for her question. We have undertaken a range of different improvements at Charnwood shops over the past few years. One of the issues that has arisen over a period is that the roots of the trees, which provide fantastic shade and amenity for local residents at the Charnwood shops, have been lifting pavement. That has raised some issues which we have been rectifying over a period as they have arisen.
It has become clear that this is going to be a systemic issue going forward at the shops. That is why I have been engaging with local members like the Deputy Chief Minister. We went out to Charnwood shops to talk about the issues. We then went out to the community to ask for the community’s views about what they would like to see in terms of future improvements, particularly around the paving issue; that retention of trees in the area; and how people would like to access the shops, in particular the supermarket adjacent to where the issues are occurring. We have been going through that community consultation process.
Mrs Kikkert: Point of order, Madam Speaker.
MR STEEL: We will release the report once we have considered it.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Steel, resume your seat. There is a point of order.
Mrs Kikkert: The question specifically asked the minister about when the listening report that was due in October would be released, not the previous failed attempts to fix the dangerous pavers at Charnwood shops.
MADAM SPEAKER: He is talking about the repairs in the Charnwood area.
MR STEEL: I have answered the question, Madam Speaker.
MRS KIKKERT: Minister, when will the dangerous pavers be repaired, given that you announced five years ago that you would fix the problem?
MR STEEL: I thank the member for her question. Once we have considered what the community would like us to do at Charnwood shops, we will look at the range of options to improve the paving.
We have been pretty proactive. We have put in place permeable solutions around the tree bases in parts of Charnwood shops to try and make sure that the paving is not lifting around the tree bases and provide opportunity for those trees to get water so that they can continue to thrive. There has been some vandalism on some of the trees at Charnwood shops that we have been working very hard to rectify to make sure that those trees continue to survive.
There has been a clear amount of work that the ACT government has undertaken at Charnwood shops. We will continue to work with the community on the solutions.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video