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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 6 Hansard (23 May) . . Page.. 1589 ..
I am also pleased to announce $460,000 in 2000-2001 to improve the ACT's cycleway infrastructure. The money will fund projects in the Tuggeranong Town Centre, Lyneham, Belconnen Way, Ginninderra Drive, the Monaro Highway and Gordon. In total, the government proposes to spend $5.3 million on cycleways over the next four years.
One of the key features of this budget is a heavy investment in the appearance of our city. We will set aside $4.5 million for the "Our City" program to revitalise the Civic area, including $1.5 million on the new Northbourne Plaza, another $1.5m for pedestrian improvements in City Walk, and $700,000 to improve pedestrian lighting in City Walk. The allocation of $500,000 will fund the upgrade of the Woden Town Centre, and another $255,000 will fund precinct works at group centres in Kambah, Jamison and Mawson, and in the Griffith area. A sum of $500,000 will fund minor works at local and group centres around Canberra, including lighting improvements at Watson and Kippax.
Mr Speaker, as I announced in the draft budget, the government is also funding two programs aimed at improving the general appearance of our city in this budget. The Streetsmart program will allow for extra streetsweeping, litter collection, grass mowing, weed spraying and tree pruning, as well as the more frequent replacement of street and traffic signs. We are providing $750,000 to extend that program. On top of that, $250,000 will fund a new Lakesmart program, which will aim to improve the quality and appearance of our lakes and surrounding parklands.
All in all, the government is spending nearly $7 million more this year on the appearance of our city and works to modernise areas which are becoming tired.
As members know, I was proud to attend the 1997 Local Government Leaders Summit on Environmental Change in Kyoto, Japan. At that meeting, the Carnell government became the first Australian government to commit to greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. This budget provides $160,000 to implement gas emission reduction targets set down in the ACT greenhouse strategy. In addition, ACT Housing will spend $1 million on upgrading the energy performance of public housing to increase energy efficiency, which translates into the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
My colleague the Minister for Urban Services is also today announcing that ACT Housing will spend $60 million over the next 10 years upgrading its major flat complexes. The program will start immediately, with preventative maintenance for safety and security reasons at Bega Court, Reid, Allawah Court, Braddon and Jerrilderie Court, Reid. The first two complexes to receive major upgrades over the next 18 months will be Gowrie Court, Narrabundah, and Stuart Flats, Griffith. Work on the other complexes will be staggered over the following 81/2 years. This is the biggest refurbishment program in the history of ACT public housing. Over the next decade massive improvements will be made to most of the 25 complexes of flats that we own.
Information Technology and Knowledge
Mr Speaker, this government has a vision of turning Canberra into a clever, caring city, and that is being realised. This budget again takes more steps in that direction by addressing issues of information technology and knowledge. In the draft budget the
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