Page 429 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 13 February 2013
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Wednesday, 13 February 2013
MADAM SPEAKER (Mrs Dunne) took the chair at 10 am and asked members to stand in silence and pray or reflect on their responsibilities to the people of the Australian Capital Territory.
National Arboretum Canberra
MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella) (10.02): I move:
That this Assembly:
(1) notes:
(a) that the official opening of the National Arboretum Canberra on 1 February 2013 was a significant event in Canberra’s cultural history;
(b) that the Arboretum has added to the wide range of national attractions in the ACT; and
(c) the Arboretum’s value to the recreational amenity, cultural infrastructure and landscape of the ACT which will provide long term benefits for tourism and economic activity within the ACT; and
(2) acknowledges the efforts of all involved in the planning and development of the National Arboretum Canberra.
I begin by congratulating all those involved both in the development of the arboretum and in the successful open day held recently, which attracted thousands of Canberrans to the venue. The official opening on 1 February, followed by the community open day the next day, was a wonderful start to our centenary year. I had the great opportunity of attending the event. As the Chief Minister mentioned yesterday, the focus on children for the event was a wonderful experience for Canberrans. Also, I was very pleased to hear that one of the songs in the opening ceremony contained the names of all of the trees that have been planted in the arboretum since its inception, which is fantastic.
The arboretum is a wonderful addition to the exceptional range of national attractions on offer here in Canberra. It will be a place of enjoyment, recreation, research and learning. I am sure that everyone who has visited the site will agree that it offers spectacular views across Canberra, and one can only begin to imagine its beauty over the next few decades as the forests mature.
The arboretum features forests of Australian natives and various rare and endangered trees from Australia and around the world. The arboretum contains about 40,000 rare, threatened and symbolic trees from more than 100 different countries, as well as a range of facilities highlighted by the centre overlooking some of the best views in Canberra.
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