"As a Tuggeranong resident it seems to me that those who describe the Valley as a 'dormitory area' are using this phrase unkindly.

Let's test the claim that there aren't enough business opportunities in Tuggeranong against the available data.

The economic health of any local community can be assessed through such measures as population growth, jobs and business growth, and housing demand. Let's look at each of these in turn.

Between 1993 and 1998, the population of the Valley has increased by an annual average rate of 0.9 per cent, second only to Gungahlin as Canberra's fastest growing area.

In that six year period, the population rose by 4,035 overall to 89,398 (nearly 5 per cent), making it the most populated subdivision in the ACT, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. It is projected to reach 92,900 by the year 2009.

That kind of growth is an indication that more and more people WANT to live in the Tuggeranong area rather than move away. And what's wrong with that? Absolutely nothing.

Instead of stagnating, as Mr Hargreaves seems to want us to believe, Tuggeranong has been growing. That's why we've had to provide so many new services and facilities in the Valley since 1995 to cater for this increased population (family care cottage, skateboard park, youth centre etc).

Let's look at employment.

The ABS found that between June 1995 and June 1998 (the period of the Carnell Government), the unemployment rate in Tuggeranong fell from 5.6 per cent to 5.4 percent. The Valley has the lowest rate of all the subdivisions in the ACT. Compare this unemployment rate with the national jobless rate of 7.1 per cent.

This is backed up by official data from Centrelink which reports that the number of registered jobseekers at its Tuggeranong office fell from 1,961 in April 1996 to just 1,358 in September 1999 (registered at both its Tuggeranong and Lanyon. offices). This is a reduction of 603 or 30 PER CENT in just three and a half years under this government.