Page 4977 - Week 13 - Thursday, 12 November 2009
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MS LE COUTEUR: I cannot hear myself think. There is a new walkway and cycleway near the Carillon and it, when wet, is really, really slippery. It is like ice, I understand, for cyclists, and I have gory photos of people who have come off on it. On that note also, going up on the other side of the lake to Kings Avenue from the National Gallery is an incredibly dangerous intersection for both pedestrians and cyclists, which again is under the control of the NCA in the parliamentary triangle. It is something that we all probably receive complaints about.
In conclusion, I would just like to say that the parliamentary triangle is at the heart of Canberra but it is not under the control of Canberrans. It is important that we have better planning and better integration and consultation for this important part of our wonderful city.
MR SESELJA (Molonglo—Leader of the Opposition) (3.13): I thank Ms Le Couteur for bringing this topic forward today. It is an important topic and it is important from a number of perspectives. There is no doubt that the parliamentary triangle is still one of the great attractions of the ACT and of the nation’s capital. It is a gathering place; it is a place where many tourists come. In fact, if you are a tourist coming to Canberra, the parliamentary triangle and many of the institutions in and around it are an absolute must to see, whether it is the National Gallery, Old Parliament House, new Parliament House or any of the other wonderful institutions. There is no doubt that it is an important area for us to develop and build upon.
We could speak for hours on this topic as it is a very broad topic. But I want to focus on a couple of issues. One is the disappointment that many of us have had in the last few years, particularly with the gutting of the NCA and the resultant scaling back of some of the work on the Griffin legacy. The work that was undertaken by the NCA on the Griffin legacy was visionary. No doubt all of us would have different views. There were aspects of it which I thought they did not quite get right. But it was a wonderful contribution to the debate about how we grow Canberra, about how we reinvigorate our parliamentary triangle, and particularly there were some fascinating aspects to it in the relationship between Civic and the lake.
One of the most exciting aspects of the Griffin legacy was this idea of finding a way to connect particularly west basin with the city area, because one of the planning travesties in the ACT and Canberra is that we put a great big freeway between the city and the lake. Whilst we certainly love our freeways, there is no doubt that having access to around the lake and having facilities in and around the lake are something that Canberra misses. We have seen some sensible and sensitive development in and around the lake in recent years but it has been of a very minor nature. Opportunities are presented by an area such as west basin. I frequent the lake often in terms of exercise, and many Canberrans do. It is the walk around the lake with the dog. It is the run at lunchtime. It is all of those—
Mr Barr: In lycra with Jeremy?
MR SESELJA: I tend to stay out of lycra. Nonetheless, Canberrans love that aspect of it. We love Commonwealth Park. We love getting in and around the lake and it
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