Page 2832 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 17 September 2014
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Light rail is the only transport mode that has consistently demonstrated this urban renewal capability. In Australian cities with tram networks we can see how communities, investment and business grew around those networks. Rail has shaped our cities in the past and it can reshape our cities in the future.
Through the linking of planning and transport strategies, the Northbourne Avenue corridor and city centre can expect rejuvenation benefits from investing in light rail. In addition to attracting business and investment, capital metro will make areas along this corridor much more accessible, increasing the sense of community along the corridor.
In conclusion I want to emphasise the ACT government’s strong commitment to and action in revitalising and rejuvenating the city centre. I might add that this commitment is in stark contrast to the attitude of the opposition’s colleagues on the hill towards investment in our city centre, most recently evidenced by their withdrawal of 800 public servants from the heart of the city, the impacts of which are being felt heavily across local business in the area.
MR RATTENBURY (Molonglo—Minister for Territory and Municipal Services, Minister for Corrective Services, Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs and Minister for Sport and Recreation) (3.50): I am pleased this matter is on the agenda today because I think it is a very worthwhile discussion. It is interesting to hear members’ perspectives on the issue. The dynamic of the city is quite diverse and quite interesting. There are parts of the city that are very successful and very vibrant and there are other parts that seem to struggle. It even ebbs and flows both at different times of the day and at different times. I think of an area like the north quarter, which is bustling, and I think of the corridor that leads from Gus’s into Garema Place, which is a very vibrant and popular area. In fact, we have seen some good revitalisation in Garema Place in the last couple of years. We have seen new venues opening there and making that a much more friendly and vibrant place than it would have been even five years ago.
You see a level of vibrancy around some of the areas of public art, where people stop and take photos of the city on or around the public art. Without opening up the whole public art discussion, you do see it. The new sculpture out the front of the Canberra Centre, which was deliberately designed for children to be able to play on, brings an energy to the space; it is very popular. I think of Tosolinis, which has been in place for many years. Despite the ebbs and flows of the city, it continues to remain a popular location. I think of City Walk more specifically and the new grass patches at the eastern end that were rebuilt. The redoing of that area of City Walk in recent years has made it, certainly at lunch time, a much more friendly and vibrant space.
On the negative, there clearly are empty shops. The area around Centrepoint has really struggled in recent years. The Garema Court building has been another area that has been problematic, and certainly parts of Garema Place at times. I was interested in Mr Coe’s comment on the impact of the charity collectors down City Walk. I know that many people find discomfort in saying no to those collectors. Just thinking about my own experience of those spaces, they are quite diverse—you really do see some differences across the city—and that is a challenge.
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