Page 2156 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 6 June 1990
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is the new-look Rolls Royce version community centre. Sure, anyone using the VW community centre will be attracted by this new Rolls Royce model until the time comes to pay the price.
If the Government can offer the community a new community facility and can guarantee that the rents the community groups now pay for the Griffin Centre will not significantly increase but only at CPI rates of increase, we would be very happy with the proposal that has been announced. I am sure that that can be done. But the Government has been noticeably silent on giving any assurances about the basis of tenure in the new community centre. Mr Duby said that the Griffin Centre is no Taj Mahal. Perhaps he sees that this new centre will be a Taj Mahal, but that is of no use to the community groups. Although it may look terrific on the plans and everyone would like bigger offices and newer facilities and flash designs, it is of no use to the community groups unless the rental basis of the new building is comparable to the rental basis of the old and somewhat run-down Griffin Centre. Community groups more than anything else need a central city location that is cheap and that is within the means of these groups, which are essentially voluntary and self-funding or dependent on small government grants.
If the Government can guarantee this, we will be the first to congratulate the Government on a good decision. If the Government can guarantee appropriate levels of rent that the community groups are satisfied with, you will hear no carping criticism from this Opposition. We will say, "A good and sensible decision well taken". As a government you have had the opportunity today in this debate to justify this decision and criticise our attack, and you have been noticeably silent on this crucial point. Unless the Canberra community can be assured that this new community centre will be available to community groups on a basis that they can afford, it is no advance at all - indeed, it is a regressive step - because when this new Taj Mahal, this new Rolls Royce community centre, opens its doors, unless the existing Griffin Centre tenants can afford to move in, it will remain empty. The Government will say, "Well, community groups do not want it. We will put it out for other uses". The Griffin Centre will be bulldozed for commercial development and the existing community groups will have nowhere to go. It is not the bricks and mortar that are so crucial to the community groups; it is the affordable central city space.
The announcement that was made yesterday concerning a new, redeveloped community centre opposite the Griffin Centre which would be equally conveniently located, equally accessible, equally close to parking, would be most acceptable provided some guarantees were given on the costs and the affordability of the new community centre. Unless you can do that, you will not have the support of the community groups and you will not have the support of the Opposition, and we will continue to oppose this move. If
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