Page 2013 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 3 June 2015
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Right across the city we will see works being undertaken. I have already spoken of Bowen park. This year we will be putting money into upgrading the Sullivans Creek cyclepath. That is a significant investment in recognition of the fact that that is the busiest cyclepath in Canberra and it has the wonderful honour of having become congested and actually needing to be widened, as well as needing to improve the road crossings on that incredibly busy cyclepath.
But it is not just in the inner parts of Canberra that we want to see high cycling rates. We want to encourage more cycling in the town and group centres. In fact we want to see more people out there. We want to see places like Belconnen and Woden look as busy as areas around, say, the inner north. That is why there is money allocated for improving works and, in particular, designing projects. We have more projects in the pipeline for next year. In the budget we see a good spend this year, but we also see design works being prepared so that next year when more funding comes through projects are ready to go. So again we see that commitment right across the city in terms of work being undertaken.
Members, I could speak for the remaining two minutes that I have on other initiatives, but I think I have conveyed the significant investment by the ACT government in the budget to continue the renewal in our suburbs by upgrading and maintaining our local shops and town centres, as Ms Fitzharris has identified in her motion. I think these initiatives will continue to ensure that Canberra continues to be the world’s most livable city. These initiatives are about maintaining good services, basic services, and a high quality of life for the residents of this city. It is something I know they appreciate. I know that people think they are very lucky to live here and that they really value being a citizen of Canberra. The investments we see in this budget will continue to ensure that they feel that way.
MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella—Minister for Planning, Minister for Roads and Parking, Minister for Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations, Minister for Children and Young People and Minister for Ageing) (5.58): I am very pleased to speak on the motion on urban renewal across the territory. I want to go to some of the projects this government is funding through the current budget.
A close-up of Tuggeranong shows we are spending $10.7 million for a new CIT training centre in Tuggeranong. There are 20 local shop upgrades, with upkeep and maintenance projects in those shops. There is $24 million, as we have heard, for the duplication of Ashley Drive, including all of those roadworks that I talked about earlier on—traffic signalisation, traffic intersections, better pedestrian access and a pedestrian bridge over Monks Creek to allow residents from Isabella Plains to get across to bus stations on the other side of the road. And 1,177 hectares of grass mowed in parks on public land.
At 6 pm, in accordance with standing order 34, the debate was interrupted. The motion for the adjournment of the Assembly having been put and negatived, the debate was resumed.
MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella—Minister for Planning, Minister for Roads and Parking, Minister for Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations, Minister for
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