Page 2706 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 23 June 2009
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suburbs. Let us look at the schools in Gungahlin that are getting funding under BER. These include Amaroo, Ngunnawal, Palmerston, Good Shepherd, Holy Spirit, Gold Creek and Harrison schools.
ACT Labor delivered more investment in our schools through the highly successful reforms of 2006. The Liberals opposed that reform. Madam Assistant Speaker Dunne, I believe that you regularly referred to it as throwing good money after bad. ACT Labor has worked to cut red tape to ensure that all schools could make the most of this package. The Liberals initially refused to back our planning reforms; it was disappointing, but they did eventually come to support us. ACT Labor continues to welcome federal Labor’s massive investment in providing even better educational services for all Canberrans, particularly those in the outer suburbs. The Liberals have never supported this investment in the future of young Canberrans.
Whilst on the topic of services for younger Canberrans, let me say that it should be remembered that the first child and family centre was opened in Gungahlin in May 2006. Again, that is something only a Labor government would do.
ACT Labor is also investing heavily to provide the people of Gungahlin with excellent sporting facilities. Recently I visited the Good Shepherd Catholic primary school in Amaroo to begin the community consultation on the design of the Gungahlin pool and leisure centre. ACT Labor has committed up to $20 million to deliver an indoor pool and leisure complex for the people of Gungahlin. Whilst we were up-front about our commitment to this project, the Liberals matched it only in the dying days of the campaign after being shamed into it by the Gungahlin Community Council. The new pool and leisure centre will be located in the Gungahlin Town Centre. The facility will include a variety of features, possibly including a lap pool, gymnasium, weights room, activity program rooms, change rooms for wet and dry areas, a cafe, child-minding facilities, dry court space and a range of complementary services such as sports medicine.
We have also committed $6 million over the next two years to fund the construction of an enclosed Gungahlin sports complex. This project will deliver an irrigated playing surface that will accommodate all major codes to a senior level and provide covered seating for 500 people, open seating for 600 spectators, change rooms, toilets, a kiosk and storage facilities.
The people of Gungahlin will also benefit from more than $8 million allocated to deliver on Labor’s election commitment to progress the development of stage 2 of the Lyneham sports precinct, which is conveniently located not far from the Gungahlin Drive extension, Northbourne Avenue and the Barton Highway. These investments will complement ACT Labor’s investment in the Harrison district playing fields and neighbourhood oval and the Throsby district playing fields.
As a result of this Labor government’s drive to deliver services to the Gungahlin community, the Gungahlin police station is now operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Twenty-four additional police and two extra dedicated patrol cars are stationed at Gungahlin. This expansion has also seen the implementation of the shift of overlap to cater for busy times. This has been made possible by ACT Labor’s
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