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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 3 Hansard (12 March) . . Page.. 958 ..

MR WOOD (continuing):

Mrs Dunne said that the people in Kippax have said what they want. I think the task force has heard that and taken it on. Now the taskforce has said, "How about this as a way to achieve what you want?"We should now go back to the community with that task force proposal and see what comes out of that. We should see whether we can short-circuit the much longer planning proposal set out in the motion.

I would like to get the library up. I would like to open it in this term of government. That is getting a bit optimistic, but I would like to be able to do that. Mr Stefaniak and Mrs Dunne, as locals, could come and help me cut the ribbon. I have indicated the funding background that that depends on. I think finally we are at a stage where what will happen at Kippax can start to move forward.

MR STEFANIAK (4.38): I support Ms Dundas's motion. She also has some amendments which sound pretty good. Mrs Dunne and Ms Dundas have made some very good points. I start with Mrs Dunne's point about Belconnen, especially Kippax and north-west Belconnen, being an ugly duckling. I have been a resident of north-west Belconnen since 1994. I can remember going to a public meeting of about 200 people outside the temporary library site, which then operated for about 30 hours. In May 1994 or July 1994-I am not exactly sure when-I can remember sympathising with our current Speaker, a local member, defending a Labor government decision to close the library. Thank God that did not occur. When we became the government in 1995 I was able to get my colleague Tony de Domenico, who was then responsible for libraries, to increase the hours of operation.

Mrs Dunne is quite right about Belconnen being an ugly duckling. A lot is being done by the federal government and by this Assembly on the development of Tuggeranong and other areas of Canberra. Belconnen is often seen to be left out. That is why I was so keen for Belconnen to have a good facility like the Belconnen aquatic centre. I was happy when that was put in the capital works program in 1997. I was disturbed when competition policy issues delayed that project. I was happy again when it got back on track just before the last election. I am a little bit concerned that, whilst there is a nice big hole in the ground and a little bit of work has been done, that project is still behind the schedules which were set in about June 2001. Hopefully, the project does not have too much further to go. It will benefit not only Belconnen but the region.

I was very keen to support and fund things like the boat shed at Ginninderra College and theatre at the Belconnen Community Centre. Mrs Dunne quite rightly points out that Tuggeranong has an arts theatre. Belconnen has an excellent arts community but has to do with facilities that are not as good as other places in Canberra.

Mrs Dunne: Substandard

MR STEFANIAK: Mrs Dunne says it is substandard. Ms Dundas called for a facility on the lake. The lake does need extra facilities to get people to use it. An arts centre there with a theatre would be an excellent initiative and appreciated by not only the arts community but people at Belconnen generally.

I was pleased to start upgrading low-maintenance ovals in Belconnen. The Macquarie

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