Page 3645 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 22 November 2022
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are three local members of my electorate who are also members of the government—Ms Clay, Ms Cheyne and Ms Berry—who could be raising issues quickly as well as changing services delivery, because they are, in fact, in government.
A particular issue I want to refer to is the poor state of service provision in the territory, particularly with respect to our footpaths. A few months ago, I met with an elderly constituent in Holt, who shared with me her personal struggle in navigating the footpaths into the Kippax group centre. I accompanied her on her walk. She requires a walking frame, with walking being part of her recovery regime and an activity she attempts every day. I saw firsthand the walk my constituent completes in simply leaving her home. She is forced to traverse seriously cracked paths and raised edges. Last year my constituent had a fall on one of these paths, damaging her shoulder. She, and the large community of vulnerable residents in Holt, walk these paths in significant anxiety, and fear injuring themselves every day.
I invite the local members, and indeed the minister responsible, to go and inspect these paths to see for themselves. I have written three letters to the minister on these particular paths and lots more letters—hundreds, in fact—on other infrastructure issues around our city. In July this year, when I first contacted the minister, I was informed that works would be completed within one to two years—suggesting that fixing the paths was not really that urgent. Upon receiving the minister’s response I wrote back urging immediate action as I know the truth of how dire these paths are. The eventual response I received last week finally conceded, upon reinspecting the area, that additional urgent safety issues had been identified. In the minister’s words, these urgent safety issues will be addressed within “a 12-month footpath replacement timeframe”. So it has taken from July this year until mid-November to get what appears to be a genuine, legitimate response that it may take another 12 months. In the meantime, these vulnerable residents are walking these paths to this popular group centre.
It is just not good enough! Residents should not have to factor-in untraversable paths on suburban streets when they injure themselves; nor should it take a massive effort and contacting a local member and getting several letters written to get the matter escalated. The residents of West Belconnen and Holt deserve better. They deserve a government that acts quickly and ensures that they do not live in fear or an anxiety that stops them from using a basic service. They must have safe and accessible pathways to their local shops.
Unfortunately—and I do come to the close of this speech—this Labor-Greens government has its hands tied by a structural deficit brought about by decades of economic mismanagement and procurement policy settings that are woefully inefficient. As I see it, this government has given up serving and focusing on the basic needs of Canberrans; indeed, they are asleep at the wheel.
I can assure you, Mr Deputy Speaker, that the Canberra Liberals will be committed to providing quality services that Canberrans need every day. Canberrans deserve those services to be delivered in a first-class manner. It is our commitment to meet the everyday needs of Canberrans, and make sure that this sort of sorry story is not a common one in Canberra.
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