Page 1823 - Week 05 - Thursday, 2 April 2009
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that needed to be done to ensure that any structures on the school site and adjacent parklands are safe.
Government representatives stated that they were anxious to meet with members of the steering committee when the Hall representatives had decided upon the make-up of that committee. Despite a number of attempts to ascertain when this group would be formed, Hall representatives were unable to provide this information. Unfortunately, the election overtook this process and the deliberations around the school precinct were unable to go ahead at that time. It was disappointing to me, and I am sure it was disappointing to the residents of Hall who wished to progress the matter further. However, as the Chief Minister has just said, discussions are now progressing. I am pleased that this is the case as I am sure that a plan of action will be formulated which will take us forward and help the village of Hall to remain a sustainable village into the future.
Along with the Chief Minister, I commend the association, in particular the president, Alastair Crombie, for his resilience and his willingness to come back after the election to seek to engage again. I also commend the members of the rural fire brigade in Hall. Many members of the brigade come from other suburbs in Canberra to supplement the members drawn from the village, and I thank them for that.
The ACT government has a history of supporting its villages, as was demonstrated after the 2003 fires when the government undertook to restore the Uriarra and Stromlo rural villages. In rebuilding these villages the government undertook best practices not only to revive the lifestyle that villages offer to residents but also to make these villages as sustainable as possible to ensure their future viability.
I was very pleased in the last Assembly to be a member of the Standing Committee on Planning and Environment that deliberated over the proposals that were brought before it regarding the restoration and redevelopment of these villages. As the Chief Minister stated, the village at Uriarra is currently being redeveloped from the original 23 properties to 100 homes. Similarly, the 17 homes destroyed in the fires at Stromlo village have been rebuilt and will be part of a village of 40 rural homes. This is very good news indeed, especially for those families wishing to return to those locations.
The Labor Party is committed to rebuilding these rural villages and ensuring their viability into the future. I have belonged to many small communities in my lifetime. One of those consisted of eight houses in what was called the Waterworks Cottages where my father worked. We lived within a settlement of eight houses with a fence around it. We had our own manager, our own orchard and our own places where the children played. Apart from going down to the shops in the town every now and again, and obviously going to school, we lived our lives in that small compound of eight houses.
I have also lived in many small communities in the Northern Territory in Arnhem Land. I do have a fondness for the village life and I know how people become very much attached to it. I missed it very much when I came to live in Canberra. In fact, I found living in an ordinary suburb quite strange and somewhat
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