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Mr Speaker, whilst in Darwin, I also visited the Trade Development Zone - an industrial estate focused on the export market in Asia. This estate has been particularly successful over the past year as Darwin's new port has been developed nearby. The visit highlighted the strong link between transport infrastructure and the estate's development. In a Canberra context, it reinforced the Government's commitment to improve our transport links and consequently our industry base.

Mr Speaker, it is time for the ACT to stand up, to promote our strengths and to be counted with all the other States and the Northern Territory. The expo in Darwin was a start and I will continue to look for opportunities - indeed, I would invite all Assembly members and the Canberra community to nominate opportunities - to sell our services, products and expertise. We have to all work together to sell the message that Canberra is indeed open for business. I present the following paper:

Northern Territory Expo - Ministerial statement, 23 August 1995.

I move:

That the Assembly takes note of the paper.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

TUGGERANONG VALLEY COMMUNITY AND HEALTH FACILITIES AND URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE

Discussion of Matter of Public Importance

MR SPEAKER: I have received a letter from Mr Osborne proposing that a matter of public importance be submitted to the Assembly for discussion, namely:

The lack of community and health facilities and urban infrastructure in the Tuggeranong Valley, especially in comparison with the other town centres in the ACT.

MR OSBORNE (3.22): Mr Speaker, I want to draw a matter of major public importance to the attention of the Assembly. It is not only important, it is urgent, I feel; and it needs the Government's urgent attention. I am talking about the lack of facilities of every kind at the southern end of the Tuggeranong Valley. This is a new population area; the mortgages are high; the families are young; they are all doing it tough. I would like to put you all in the picture because some of you probably do not go south of Woden unless it is to the Murrumbidgee or down the Monaro Highway to the ski fields.

Some 90,000 people live in Tuggeranong, and about a third of them live in the south, from Calwell down. That is where the last petrol station is - in Calwell. Calwell has a small group of shops, but there is no health centre or recreational facilities. Further up the valley, on the western edge near the Woden end, there is the town centre and the Hyperdome. On the other side there is the Erindale Centre and Wanniassa.

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