Page 176 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 9 February 2022
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While it is not restricted to organisations in community facilities, the grants can be used to address attitudinal, communication and physical barriers to access and inclusion, with the aim of enabling groups to implement things like assistive technology and infrastructure modifications that provide increased opportunities for people with disability to participate in community or social groups.
Members in this place will also know of my history in the community sector. I have worked in some of those former schools that have been turned into community facilities. One of the richest parts of this experience is the way that these community hubs bring organisations together and foster connections between different organisations and the people who access them. There is also a place for specialised community facilities that are fit for purpose, such as for disability services, sports halls, and theatre and the arts.
I am particularly excited to see how this motion will impact on my electorate of Murrumbidgee. My constituents in Woden Valley and Molonglo are particularly vocal about having indoor community sports facilities where people can gather to connect, play, celebrate and learn. It was a privilege to sponsor a petition for an indoor multipurpose sports facility in Woden last year, and I am looking forward to hearing the minister’s response.
People in all parts of Murrumbidgee have talked to me about the kinds of things they could do if only there were more accessible, appropriate community facilities in their area. Older Canberrans in Molonglo Valley are looking for somewhere to meet and connect socially; table tennis players are looking for spaces to play; and the Molonglo Valley Community Forum are looking for large meeting spaces. In Woden there are many sports and recreation groups looking for space, including badminton, basketball, skaters, dance groups and many others, as well as community groups in need of meeting rooms. In Kambah there is also a need for more spaces for community sports and community group meetings than existing facilities can accommodate.
Ensuring that Canberra has a spread of accessible, quality community facilities is integral to maintaining our rich community inclusion and participation. Community facilities help to shape intergenerational and cross-cultural connections and make good use of our city’s infrastructure. They are important spaces for the work of our community and non-government partners.
For as long as I have lived in Canberra, I have accessed services and organisations in our community facilities, and I commit to supporting and growing their important presence in our city.
MRS KIKKERT (Ginninderra) (3.15): I thank Ms Orr for bringing this motion before the Assembly. The Canberra Liberals will be supporting the motion. Our support should come as no surprise. The issues addressed in this motion are ones that my Liberal colleagues and I have been raising for some years.
In the 2015-16 annual reports hearings, I asked the minister about the high and growing demand for access to community facilities, and specifically asked what plan
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