Page 4282 - Week 14 - Thursday, 24 October 1991
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MR WOOD (Minister for Education and the Arts and Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning) (3.41): I am happy also to join in this debate and acknowledge the path that it has taken. Mr Stevenson proposed discussion of the rejuvenation of Garema Place, although I think, from the way he spoke, that reactivate or revitalise or make more lively might have been the better description.
Mr Stevenson acknowledged that a great deal has happened in recent times to improve Garema Place. The physical environment in Garema Place is generally quite attractive. The famous red pavers are there in abundance. There has been a great deal of work since then on the bowers, if you like, the metalwork, over which there is now very good growth. So, it is a quite attractive place to be in and will be more attractive, Mr Stevenson, once that substation is removed.
I can tell you that it will be removed, though I cannot tell you just when. It is proposed as part of the building program that a developer is undertaking to replace BMI House, the one at the end of Garema Place. Part of that work will involve relocating that substation, I understand at the cost of the developer, so Mr Connolly informs me; so it is a saving to the ACT Government and taxpayer. That substation will go and that is the biggest blot on the landscape there. At the same time, I think it is likely that the chess pit will be filled in. It is quite clear, after some years, that that pit, the chess pit, is not serving the purpose for which it was intended. I have never seen a game of chess taking place there yet.
It is certainly an attractive place for skateboarders, though I cannot see why. I think it is appropriate, not necessarily as an attack on skateboarders, to fill that in. Mr Connolly suggested that a band rotunda, or some little construction like that, could be constructed roughly on that site. Once that is done, Garema Place will look quite attractive, even more attractive than it is now.
I do not want to comment particularly on Mr Petersilka's proposals. Certainly, he has led the way in the past. I note that there is not necessarily at this stage unanimous agreement amongst the traders about those proposals; but I have no doubt, the way things proceed in Canberra, that that will be worked through and in the end there will emerge something that meets with the agreement of all those traders and of the Government.
I want to take the opportunity here to expand a little further beyond Garema Place. Mr Stevenson in his speech said, quite properly, that people need to go there to look at the shops. Well, you can certainly do that in Garema Place. But you cannot go too far in Civic and continue to do that. I have complained before that around our streets at street level there are simply far too many offices.
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