Page 2679 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 12 August 2015

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(b) that, after a number of years of examination, the Economic Development Directorate identified Griffith Blocks 2 and 5, Section 41, which is currently partially occupied by a building rented by the Manuka Occasional Childcare Centre Association (MOCCA), as the most suitable replacement site;

(d) the importance of ongoing community-based, not-for-profit childcare provision in Canberra;

(e) the Government is considering the best location for a new, larger, replacement childcare centre for MOCCA in the inner south;

(f) the need for community involvement in urban renewal of the Manuka business precinct;

(g) that, in response to the community’s concern about placing a childcare centre near to Telopea Park School land, the Government has re-examined a range of sites and is actively considering whether Section 78 Griffith may also be appropriate; and

(h) that there are a variety of views in the community about changes to land use in Griffith relating to childcare; and

(2) calls on the Government to:

(a) continue to engage with the wider Canberra community over future development of the Manuka precinct;

(b) decide as quickly as possible on any replacement site for MOCCA, noting the mix of community concern and support about possible sites;

(d) ensure that the lease for the site of the Telopea Park tennis courts is returned to school and community use.”.

I am moving the amendment to provide clarity in relation to the path forward on these issues, and I will now talk to a number of these points. Firstly, as I have stated on a number of occasions, evidenced by the fact that four years on there is no redevelopment on the Canberra Services Club site, the Services Club have advised government that they cannot rebuild a sustainable club on the site of their former building. They made that clear to the government via the economic development directorate, which then went about a task of identifying potential alternate sites. That examination looked at a range of sites and identified those sites in Griffith, blocks 2 and 5 of section 41, which are currently occupied in part by Mocca.

It is clear that demand for childcare places is exceeding supply. As I have said on a number of occasions, additional childcare places are required. The government

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