Page 3023 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 15 September 2015
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will be a purpose-built pavilion on the promenade for a cafe or tourist facility. New paths will connect Commonwealth Avenue to the waterfront, and upgrades to the western section of Barrine Drive will occur. There will be two new signalised intersections on Commonwealth Avenue to enable better access to the waterfront and Commonwealth Park.
The 2015-16 budget saw a record investment in renewing our public housing stock—nearly $160 million to replace aged public housing with new homes across the city. In 2014 the government released our vision for the city centre towards 2030 and beyond through the city plan, which will contribute to urban consolidation, sustainability and strong and connected communities and places for people. The city plan puts together several major projects that will shape our city for the future and drive urban renewal—city to the lake, capital metro, the Northbourne Avenue corridor redevelopment and the major upgrade of Constitution Avenue. We are currently progressing the city plan implementation through the city and Northbourne Avenue urban design framework study. This will ensure that the planning and implementation in this key area is integral to the planning of Canberra as a connected and prosperous city.
I appreciate there is a higher level of office vacancy in Civic than we have seen in the past. There is one key reason for that—the federal Liberal government’s decision to cut jobs, jobs and even more jobs from Canberra’s economy. I am very proud of the work this Labor government has done under my leadership and that of former Chief Minister Katy Gallagher to protect Canberra’s economy: a stimulus package, including the biggest ever infrastructure spend in territory history; a business development plan to help diversify our economy; and making changes to support our higher education sector.
The thing about governing is that it boils down to choices and priorities. Let me be clear: my government will always put Canberra, our people, our jobs, and our city, first. That is our priority for the future. We know what the Liberals’ priorities are: cuts—cuts to jobs in our economy, cuts to the services Canberrans rely on, and cuts to the social fabric of our city. Apparently tax cuts for a selected few of their property developer mates are also on the agenda. These are not our priorities; our priorities are making our city, community and economy stronger. One of the ways we are doing that is by rejuvenating our CBD through a range of planning and capital works programs. We are partnering with business owners and investors to continue the momentum of growth and renewal in the city centre.
This includes building stage one of the capital metro light rail with a terminus on Northbourne Avenue; managing through traffic in the city and improving peripheral routes, reducing congestion and creating a more pedestrian friendly environment; significantly increasing mixed-use residential development within the city to up to 20,000 residents, providing more street life and encouraging a night time economy; providing better connections between the city and the ANU; providing better connections between the city and the lake by reducing the barrier of Parkes Way and connecting Civic with the parklands, cultural institutions and commonwealth activity in the central national area; improving walking, cycling and open space networks to promote active travel, healthy living and to better connect urban neighbourhoods with
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