Page 122 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 11 February 2015
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We are seeing the continued revitalisation of the Belconnen foreshore area, which is in line with the ACT government’s commitment to providing better public places. This is a very popular recreation area that connects the western foreshores district park, the Belconnen town centre, the international standard skate park, the John Knight Memorial Park picnic facilities and the Belconnen Arts Centre. The renewal of the foreshore has, over the past several years, attracted many businesses which have set up in the area and are now providing much-needed services, as Dr Bourke mentioned.
Since its opening in 2009, the Belconnen Arts Centre has become an icon beside Lake Ginninderra. The centre has continued to play a key role in the development of and the opportunities given to Canberra artists. The broader Belconnen and north-west Canberra communities are also gaining from the programs and accessibility to the services provided by the arts centre. That is why in 2012 I welcomed the $300,000 injection of funds by the ACT government to begin plans for stage 2. I am aware that the planning is now complete and the development application has been approved, and I look forward to the eventual completion of this important community cultural facility, as it will provide much-needed arts and community facilities which will also enhance the foreshore.
Madam Assistant Speaker, as I stated earlier, these infrastructure projects, iconic institutions, businesses and leisure facilities depend intrinsically on each other, and are as a result of careful planning—planning that is focused on satisfying residents’ needs, population size and access to services. As you know, this careful planning and renewal have been crucial to the growth and sustainability of Belconnen, and indeed the ACT—and now, of course, this is more important because we face definite challenges. The challenges mainly arise from the federal government’s ongoing austerity measures, which continue to undermine the ACT economy, and indeed the entire nation, as Dr Bourke has clearly outlined.
We have seen this federal government reducing the numbers of Australian public servants and federal agencies in the Australian Capital Territory. Of course, across the nation this has had an effect as well. They continue to tighten commonwealth department budgets, including recruitment arrangements that have placed a hiring freeze on the Australian public service. All of this has limited employment growth and undermined business confidence in the ACT.
Every decision this federal government has made since being elected has been bad for this territory. This was confirmed by none other than the Prime Minister, who, on Monday, conceded that his government has been making bad decisions for the last 17 months—something we on this side have been saying for a long time.
The proposal to move the Department of Immigration and Border Protection from Belconnen is one such example of a not well-thought-out decision. And let us not confuse a person’s character with their decision-making. Just because someone makes bad decisions does not make them a bad person. I do not think we in this place are saying that these people are bad people; we are just saying they are making bad decisions. That is a behavioural matter.
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