Page 576 - Week 02 - Thursday, 9 March 2006
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The degradation of urban infrastructure in suburban areas is worrying according to residents.
Mr Giles of Weston says:
…Weston Creek was beginning to look tired and uninviting.
The footpaths are breaking down, the bridges are damaged and the walkway lighting is in a constant state of disrepair because of vandals.
In the limited time, there are just a few other areas to mention. I know they do some things well. In this week’s City News there is an article entitled “Skippy gets a fresh coat.” It says:
Poor Skippy couldn’t have been there for more than a few days when he was freshly painted by an ACT line-marker on the northbound (Belconnen) lane on the Tuggeranong Parkway between the Hindmarsh Drive and Cotter Road turnoffs, as snapped by a concerned motorist.
Despite what Mr Pratt says, there are areas that are being done exceptionally well by the minister, and credit for things such as this should be given. In the Adopt-a-Road program, which seems to have died, there was obviously scope for improving the city. It is worth noting that the stretch of road adopted by Mr Quinlan has been looking a little grubby lately. He has probably been preoccupied with balancing the books but, hopefully with his retirement, he will be able to look after it. That will relieve some of the pressure on the urban services department.
Mr Hargreaves: What is the name of your stretch, Richard?
MR MULCAHY: I am not looking for the free advertising and doing nothing; I will leave that to Mr Quinlan. These are the sorts of examples that reflect on the sad state of the city. The level of complaints we are receiving is growing continually. I understand the complete incapacity now to deal with the range of issues because we have let the city start to deteriorate. It is a worrying problem, as in so many areas of administration of the territory, that the dollars are not going to be there. Sadly, the people of Canberra are going to have to endure the consequences of the lack of provision of maintenance.
It is no different from a business. If you let a business, a dwelling or commercial premises run down, it takes a heap more money and investment in order to restore that to an acceptable level. These are issues of concern. It is not the same situation that sometimes happens in this place where we have supposed matters of public importance that are really of little interest to anyone other than the mover. In this case, these issues are of concern to all of the people of Canberra. I commend the points Mr Pratt and Mr Smyth have taken in raising these issues and seriously hope we find some way through this dilemma of how to find funds within the territory to again get the city looking as it should look as the proud capital of Australia.
DR FOSKEY (Molonglo) (4.30): Unfortunately, I am not going to speak for long because I do not have very long. However, I could not miss speaking on a matter of public importance of such riveting interest as this. It is the first time we have ever talked
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