Page 3437 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 22 October 2014
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said something positive about our beloved city. He spent most of the time moaning about how awful it is, starting with the Nazi strippers, who I am sure are very nice people and are very proud of living in their city as well. That is the difference between those opposite and those on this side—we are proud of our city and will do everything we can to talk it up and make it better.
It came as no surprise to me that the ACT was ranked number one in the OECD’s regional wellbeing report and that Canberra was ranked as Australia’s most livable city by the Property Council. It is well-deserved recognition of this government’s continued investment in health services, schools, transport, community spaces and facilities, housing and pretty much every other aspect of our community.
Most importantly, these rankings demonstrate that our government’s investments are making a real difference in the lives of the people of Canberra. In my electorate, the Belconnen Community Health Centre, which was opened in November 2013, provides increased capacity and access to community health services such as dental, community nursing, and community mental health services. I had the unfortunate pleasure, I suppose, of attending the dental services there with my son this year, and they do a great job. I am very happy to have one so close to my home, as is everybody else who lives in the Belconnen area of Ginninderra. The new Belconnen nurse-led centre, which was opened in July of 2014, is also a wonderful service for the people of Belconnen.
Our second public hospital, the first subacute rehabilitation hospital in the ACT, the University of Canberra public hospital, is planned and construction is expected to begin in 2015. It will form part of a planned network of hospital facilities designed to meet the needs of our ageing and growing population. We have seen the development and delivery of the west Belconnen co-located ambulance and fire and rescue station.
These are just a few of the local investments this government has undertaken, and represent investment for the services and infrastructure we not only need now but our government has planned to build and transform our city for a prosperous and sustainable future.
Too often some people in this place, as we learned earlier today, try to talk down our achievements, but today is a time to celebrate our achievements, which are undeniable. We live in a territory that is well-maintained, safe, with high quality recreational outdoor environments, educational opportunities, good healthcare services, employment and economic opportunities and excellent transport infrastructure.
We have a lot to be proud of, and it is not just about our built environment and infrastructure or our income and economic indicators. In my local community of Belconnen, I see every day just how livable our city really is, from our fantastic dog parks, our skateboard park, which is touted as the best and the biggest in the southern hemisphere, the Strathnairn Arts Centre, the Belconnen Arts Centre, and our amazing schools. These are reminders every day of just how livable our city is no matter what interest you have or how old you are.
Within a couple of hundred metres of your home you are virtually in the bush, and I know Mr Rattenbury talked about this earlier celebrating the 30 years of Namadgi
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