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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 11 Hansard (24 September) . . Page.. 3312 ..

MRS CARNELL (continuing):

It is a sad fact that many of the additional services this budget will deliver are to honour promises that were made but never achieved by the previous Labor Government. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the provision for a fifth ambulance crew in the ACT's south-eastern corridor. Today I can confirm that, three years after it was promised by the former Follett Government, a fifth ambulance is to begin 24-hour operations in Canberra from 1 October. This will provide the Canberra community with additional paramedics and dramatically improve emergency response times across the Territory. The cost of introducing this service is to be offset by the introduction of a $15 annual fee on all motor vehicles. The road rescue fee will be levied in conjunction with the payment of annual registrations and all funds raised will be used solely to maintain and improve our high-quality emergency services. Following the introduction of this levy, any Canberran requiring transport by ambulance as a result of a road accident will not be charged for the service.

The Government has also delivered on its commitment to the construction of a new joint emergency services centre at Gungahlin, and I am pleased to report that the Fire Brigade estimates that all ACT Housing dwellings will be fitted with smoke alarms by 1998. Construction of the new Tuggeranong Police Station is due to commence next month, with the facility scheduled to open in late 1997 at a total cost of $6.2m. This Government has also kept faith with its commitment to maintain funding for the Australian Federal Police operations in the ACT in real terms. Wage increases flowing from the new Federal enterprise bargaining agreements have been fully supplemented, at a cost of almost $1m.

Members will be aware that the Government has previously announced that the future of the Belconnen Remand Centre is to be the subject of a major review. What is immediately clear, however, is that areas of the centre need to be upgraded urgently to improve the safety and general effectiveness of the facility. The Government has therefore allocated $350,000 in this budget for essential improvements to the Belconnen Remand Centre. As noted earlier, funding of $45,000 has been provided to employ a specialist mental health nurse.

This budget also seeks to revitalise Canberra's urban areas. In partnership with community precinct groups across the Territory, the Government will work to progressively upgrade landscapes and facilities in local areas. Already, we have allocated $800,000 to upgrade local shopping centres at Hughes, Narrabundah and O'Connor by the end of this year. A further $300,000 has been allocated to upgrade small parks in the vicinity of these centres. I am pleased to announce today that four new precinct groups will be established this year, in Kippax, Dickson, Charnwood and Hall, bringing to 13 the total number that have been established. As part of our strategies to revitalise local and group shopping centres across Canberra, a feasibility study is now being undertaken to examine a joint venture proposal involving the construction of residential dwellings on vacant government land near our local shopping centres.

The Government intends to establish a Canberra Development Authority to coordinate major public sector developments across the whole of the ACT Government. This will be a small central authority that will have responsibility for the promotion, management and execution of major urban revitalisation projects. This year will also see the start of work costing more than $1m to rejuvenate the centre of Canberra. This will involve the

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