Page 3170 - Week 10 - Thursday, 15 August 2013
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
When it comes to recycling and waste, the trial of the ACT’s bulky waste collection service will continue for another year, with further funds allocated in the budget. And this free service helps pensioners and concession cardholders who have limited capacity or financial ability to dispose of large items.
When it comes to building upgrades, there are a range of upgrades and refurbishments to ACT government buildings funded in the budget, including for Yarralumla nursery ahead of its centenary celebrations next year. There is also money for four additional counters and other improvements at Woden shopfront to cater for increased demand, including from the expansion of Molonglo; money for roof and paving repairs at the Canberra Convention Centre; and improvements to a range of other buildings across the city.
The budget also provides money to develop and implement a remediation action plan to manage asbestos which comes to the surface from the old suburban dump site at Red Hill nature reserve. This continues work funded in the previous year’s budget. The budget also provides money towards removing contaminated soil buried in a quarry at the Yarralumla brickworks site in order to make the area safe for future users of the site and money for the installation of security fencing at the brickworks to prevent people accessing the area and causing damage such as graffiti.
The budget provides a $344,000 boost over the next two years to maintain an enhanced level of funding to the RSPCA to help enable it to continue its work with the ACT government to provide essential services, including the provision of an animal shelter for stray and injured animals including native wildlife, as well as animal welfare inspector services.
The budget contains numerous initiatives to improve traffic and pedestrian safety, as well as to improve the energy efficiency of the transport network, and funding for road and infrastructure upgrades. Rather than go through them all now, because they are detailed in the budget papers, I simply observe that one of the critiques of the budget has been that there is no actual money for funding for the actual construction. I highlight the quite clear intent that all of this design work is being done to prepare projects for funding in future years. This is simply about the government being timely with its works and seeking the money when it actually needs it, as opposed to leading out with it in advance and having money then needing to be rolled over.
There are important initiatives here that we have all been approached about by the communities that we represent, including work on Ashley Drive, work for new car parking spaces at Cooleman Court, where we are seeing considerable pressure being applied as a result of the Molonglo development. There are a range of safety improvements across the city, including upgrades to Melrose Drive and Eggleston Crescent in Chifley to improve safety. And that was one that received some community attention, with its previous solution under the black spot program. TAMS heard the community feedback on that issue and has now come up with an alternative approach, which has been funded in this budget.
There is also, in terms of general infrastructure upgrades, money for bus stop upgrades. This will improve access, particularly for seniors and people with
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video