Page 1175 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 7 May 2014
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
that is not the total expenditure in disability. The 2013-14 budget provides $5.5 million over two years for enhanced services to prepare the ACT for the full rollout of the NDIS by 2014.
On top of the $10.6 million from the commonwealth, other funding includes $1.6 million to support transport for students and $1.3 million for additional support for students with complex needs. As you can see, there is a direct, and I think very important, difference between what the ACT Liberals would provide and what Labor is providing. (Time expired.)
MS PORTER (Ginninderra) (12.10): I rise also to support Ms Gallagher’s amendment and to highlight some of the government’s infrastructure priorities. I have on many occasions said in this place that a good government does not pursue policies that have been shown to fail and which destroy businesses, families and communities. We fear that we will see this from the coalition in the next week’s federal budget.
This Labor government has known for many years that we need to work closely with the Canberra community to identify priorities and to implement policies that will make Canberra continue to be the most vibrant, liveable city in Australia and to help it continue to grow and to change to meet the challenges and opportunities of the future.
Every year this government is investing record levels of funding in our community, building a stronger local health system, investing in better schools and teachers, maintaining a strong local economy and creating more local jobs than ever before. We have consistently seen this in successive budgets of this government, which continue to deliver on important transformational infrastructure projects and lay the foundations for growth.
I will not speak on the major projects like the city plan and capital metro, as my colleagues have touched on them. Instead, I will look at the work we are doing on the overall amenity of our city and our suburbs, particularly in Ginninderra. Successive budgets of this government have seen significant increases in funding for upgraded shopping centres, including publicly owned spaces around local centres, to improve safety and accessibility and to improve lighting, street furniture and landscaping.
Priorities for shopping centre upgrades are planned and considered through, for instance, a comprehensive audit program which was developed and completed in 2012 to determine what work was required at local shopping centres. The audit did consider future needs such as furniture, seats, tables, bins, toilets, the state of shrub beds, fences and drinking fountains. Shopping centres in my electorate that have benefited, or that are earmarked to benefit, from this increased funding include centres such as Evatt, Florey, Kaleen, Fraser, Spence and Macquarie. This work will continue and will progressively ensure that we maintain our local centres, which are an integral part of the Canberra lifestyle.
I know many members who preceded me in the debate, including Mr Rattenbury, have mentioned footpaths. These are important. Ever since I became a member of this place I have routinely highlighted such matters. Through my mobile offices and my contact with my constituents, I have been able to make many successful representations on their behalf.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video