Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 05 Hansard (Friday, 14 May 2004) . . Page.. 1993 ..

of initiatives in the areas of education and emergency services for the electorate but would have liked to have seen more focus on youth services for the southern suburbs of Canberra. The Melrose High School gym, for example, is a most welcome initiative and is well overdue. Ensuring that our children are physically active is a challenge and should be a high priority in the effort to reduce the obesity rate. If we are to encourage children to partake in physical activity, adequate facilities are needed. There are a number of primary schools throughout the Brindabella electorate that have inadequate facilities, often having to share gym and assembly hall functions.

It is also vital that schools have the necessary number of teachers with physical education training. This is still a major problem in many schools—in fact, it is a dramatic problem in many schools—despite teachers in universities like the University of Canberra now having a PE teaching degree.

The wireless broadband program will provide wireless broadband connection for schools that are outside the boundary of current proposed broadband cable implementations in South Tuggeranong. [Extension of time granted.] Ensuring our students have access to the internet is crucially important in this information technology day and age. All students who complete their education will need to be equipped with computing and internet skills. This is a most welcome initiative, and not before time. Students on the south side have been at some disadvantage in this area.

The Child and Family Centre in Tuggeranong is another welcome announcement. I hope that commencement of this project is a priority for the Stanhope government and that the June 2006 completion target is met. For the sake of children and families in Tuggeranong, I hope the project is not delayed like the Woden police station. The Canberra community cannot afford for these capital works projects to be delayed by this inactive Stanhope government any longer. These outstanding projects must be moved along quickly. I hope the new projects coming on stream are going to be more reliably expedited. The Child and Family Centre in Tuggeranong is another welcome announcement. Let us hope the target date is met.

I am concerned that there was not additional funding for more youth centres of the calibre of that at Lanyon for locations perhaps at Erindale and Calwell. There was funding in the budget for youth services in the city, but it appears that the Brindabella electorate misses out in this area. The Tuggeranong community has been in great need of such centres for some time. I am well aware that Tuggeranong aid agencies have been struggling for a while now to help street kids in the area—for example, the nightly concentration of street kids along Tuggeranong Lake and around the Hyperdome. These kids need special care—

Mr Quinlan: Put them in the army.

MR PRATT: Can I quote you, Treasurer?

Mr Quinlan: Yes.

MR PRATT: What a lovely initiative: put them all in the army. These kids need special care and suburban centres across the Brindabella electorate would best tackle this growing community need. Incidentally, $2.5 million for youth at risk over four years is

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .