Page 4133 - Week 11 - Thursday, 17 Sept 2009
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Thursday, 17 September 2009
The Assembly met at 10 am.
(Quorum formed.)
MR SPEAKER (Mr Rattenbury) took the chair and asked members to stand in silence and pray or reflect on their responsibilities to the people of the Australian Capital Territory.
Petition
Roads—footpaths—petition No 99—ministerial response
The Clerk: The following response to a petition has been lodged by a minister:
By Mr Stanhope, Minister for Transport, dated 15 September 2009, in response to a petition lodged by Mr Smyth on 18 August 2009 concerning the closure of pedestrian access to John Close, Gilmore.
The terms of the response will be recorded in Hansard.
The response read as follows:
The ACT Government notes the Petition submitted by the petitioners, tabled by Mr Smyth MLA and received by the Assembly on the 18 August 2009, and makes the following comments:
• Walkways such as this form an integral component of the community footpath network. They provide access for pedestrians and cyclists through suburbs to bus stops, shops, green areas and other community facilities.
• An officer of the Department has been in contact with the Australian Federal Police (AFP). The AFP advised that police patrols had been despatched to the area in response to requests by residents and the situation was quickly brought under control. The AFP also advised that the residents were happy with the outcome.
• The ACT Government is concerned that the removal of this footpath would inconvenience far more members of the local community than those living in John Close. The AFP also agrees that the situation does not warrant closure of this walkway.
• Although I am sympathetic to the residents in John Close, I have an obligation to act in the interests of the wider community. Consequently, I regret that I am unable to support the closure of this walkway.
Long Service Leave (Community Sector) Amendment Bill 2009
Mr Hargreaves, pursuant to notice, presented the bill, its explanatory statement and a Human Rights Act compatibility statement.
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