Page 1580 - Week 05 - Thursday, 11 May 2006
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particularly the Treasurer, who does not seem to think that the Kings Highway is in need of any upgrade. I am certain that anyone who does travel on that highway on a regular basis, or even on an occasional basis, will certainly know that it is dangerous enough as it is without the added traffic that this defence facility will obviously generate.
Mr Seselja: Well, I said it.
MS PORTER: I am glad that Mr Seselja agrees with that point. There is a huge problem with the Kings Highway. Obviously the federal government is not taking it seriously.
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank the Minister for the Territory and Municipal Services, Mr Hargreaves. On any occasion that I have raised a problem with either our roads or our infrastructure, the minister has always been quick to attend to the matter in an effective way. We have just heard him outline his approach to the Pialligo matter, and we can only admire the way that he is handling it.
I would also like to thank officers of the department who work so hard not only to respond to my inquiries but also to maintain our roads and infrastructure so well. They do a wonderful job for our community. They should be publicly recognised and thanked for their contribution.
MR MULCAHY (Molonglo) (4.26): I rise today to speak in support of my colleagues and to express my concern about the state of roads and infrastructure in the ACT.
Mr Hargreaves: In Isaacs?
MR MULCAHY: RiotACT seem to take an amazing interest in my life. I am delighted that they are promoting my forthcoming meeting with the residents of Gungahlin.
Mr Hargreaves: What, both of them?
MR MULCAHY: No. There are about 11,000 up there. There are lots of letters coming in already.
Over the last few months I have received hundreds of representations from residents of Molonglo about the state of infrastructure in the territory. Comments such as “Canberra is looking unkempt”, “the presence of graffiti around town makes Canberra stand out in urban areas around Australia” and “the city has a tired, neglected air” are occurring all too frequently. Residents have highlighted to me a range of issues: the need for new footpaths; the need for repairs to existing footpaths; the unkempt nature of many parks; long grass in public areas; dead or dying trees left untended; playgrounds in disrepair; the state of local shops; litter overflowing from public rubbish bins; graffiti in public areas; weeds and debris left in drains; dirty streets; roads in disrepair and a whole range of other areas of concern.
In some of the older suburbs, such as Curtin, Hughes and Garran, the problems are more noticeable. As I said very soon after I was elected to the Assembly, cracked footpaths represent a real issue of safety for our senior people in the city. Cracked footpaths and roads in need of repair are common and present both an inconvenience and a possible dangerous hazard to residents. Whilst I acknowledge that the minister made some extra
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