Page 189 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 11 February 2015
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Franklin Early Childhood Centre. I am pleased to say that this work is well underway and due to be completed in early 2015. Another $450,000 has been allocated to the future use study on the joint emergency services centre in Gungahlin and $230,000 to upgrade computers and security in the public library complex in Gungahlin.
As a Gungahlin local I am also proud of the investments the Labor government has made in our community sporting facilities. The government invested $28 million to build the Gungahlin Leisure Centre. It was money very well spent. It is a wonderful facility and I know that it is highly valued by my community. It is a diverse centre with a toddlers’ pool, a children’s water play area, and a lap pool and gym for adults. I know that it is an important part of the lives of many Gungahlin families, including my own. It is where our kids go for swimming lessons and where we spend many a weekend afternoon.
Sport is just as important in the lives of people in Gungahlin as it is in the rest of Canberra and, indeed, the rest of Australia. The investment the government is making in community irrigated space in Franklin and has already made in Crace will provide space for people to come together to enjoy the very real pleasure of shared sporting activities.
Our Labor government has also invested $14 million to deliver the Gungahlin enclosed oval. It is a fantastic community facility. The competition quality lighting and turf make it an important part of the sporting pathway in our area. The large covered grandstand and public facilities make it an equally important part of our community space. With first-grade games played there throughout the winter season, it attracts people from all across the city.
I will also talk about investment in our schools. As someone who has had children and returned to the workforce as a working mum, I know that access to child care and quality early childhood education is essential. That is one of the reasons I am proud that this Labor government has invested in Gungahlin schools. We need well-funded 21st century schools if we want our city to grow. Continued investments by Labor governments have seen the development of the Franklin Early Childhood School, a $30 million state-of-the-art facility offering schooling and childcare services for local families. Along with providing places from preschool to year 2, it also offers a 120-place childcare facility. The one drop-off is vital for many families.
Neville Bonner Primary School is a $48 million investment which opened in 2013, providing for nearly 400 students. These two investments were not only delivered on time but also $30 million under budget. The super schools at Amaroo and Harrison, teaching children from their very first school experiences all the way through until they move on to college, provide for over 2,200 students. Harrison Secondary School alone received a $50 million investment. Gungahlin College has had $75 million invested in it in order to give the best possible education to nearly 900 of Gungahlin’s teenagers as they arrive at the end of their secondary education journey and step into adulthood.
I also mention the health investment in Gungahlin. The Gungahlin Community Health Centre is adjacent to the child and family centre, adjacent to Communities@Work,
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