Page 359 - Week 01 - Thursday, 11 February 2010
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artistic, business and sporting lives of our present day Australians, including our own Canberra community.
I am sure that I speak for all of us in the Assembly when I wish a happy Chinese new year to the ACT Chinese Australia Association, the National Australian Chinese Association and all within our ACT-based Chinese community as they prepare to celebrate the Chinese new year. I would also like to wish to you, Madam Assistant Speaker Le Couteur and all our colleagues in the Assembly, and our families, as well as our Canberra community, a happy Chinese new year as we start to celebrate what we all hope will be the strong year of the tiger. May it bring prosperity, happiness and wealth to all.
Urban services
MR COE (Ginninderra) (4.31): I rise today to talk about the need for the ACT government to return to core business. Some of the most frequent feedback I receive from constituents is in relation to basic urban services. One of the first services of the territory government is our local government services, that is, ensuring that basic things get done and get done well. The people of the ACT pay some of the highest rates and charges in the country and they deserve good-quality local services. I have received representations on numerous issues around the city, including poorly maintained roads, dangerous intersections, rubbish, graffiti, unmown public land, dead trees, dangerous trees, broken footpaths, bike paths in disrepair, street lights out and a host of other issues.
Indeed, I reported to the minister before Christmas the case of second-hand whitegoods and junk that has been accumulating at the end of Delegate Street, and still no action has been taken. This is despite the ACT government being aware of it well before I made representations and despite several warnings being issued in relation to the junk. The junk poses health and safety hazards to residents of the area and users of the nature strip. It is one example of many where the ACT government is failing in its local duties. It is obviously not glamorous enough for the Chief Minister.
It took an exchange of quite a few letters to finally get a footpath near the Jamison centre repaired after it had been severely damaged during development a year or two ago. I have had to make a representation regarding fire hazards on public land because the ACT government had not undertaken adequate works on public lands. Street lights have still been out, despite being reported to Canberra Connect more than a week previously.
There is still a backlog of work at a popular part of the Lake Ginninderra foreshore. The delay in upgrading the Joy Cummings Place and Aikman Drive intersection has resulted in difficulties for motorists. A loading zone sign in Gungahlin was installed behind a tree so that motorists trying to use the bay could not see what the parking restrictions were and consequently got fined.
When I report to the Chief Minister an issue that has been raised with me, the reply is often that these sorts of things should be reported to Canberra Connect. In other words, “Even though I am the minister, these things are not important enough for my
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