Page 3548 - Week 11 - Thursday, 24 September 2015
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There will be a lot of development going on in the town centre over the next few months and years. A new Bunnings nearby, apartments, cinema and restaurants are soon to pop up. Light rail will also significantly change the town centre in a positive way. So, I am glad so many Gungahlin residents are taking an interest in the future of our region. If anyone is having trouble imagining what closing the street could look like, Hibberson Street between Gozzard Street and Gungahlin Place West will be closed temporarily from 13 October to 8 December to allow for the construction of an underground car park at the Marketplace. This will be a chance to road test the closure and see what impact it has on access and the atmosphere of the town centre.
Madam Assistant Speaker, the survey is still open and I urge everyone, including those in the Assembly and with an interest in Gungahlin, to fill it out.
National skipping championships
MR RATTENBURY (Molonglo) (4.33): I rise today to speak about the National skipping championships which were held at the Australian Institute of Sport between Saturday 19 and Monday 21 September, attracting 245 skippers from around the country.
Australia is one of 40 countries who actively participate in the sport of rope skipping, and Skipping Australia is the national body representing skippers in one of the country’s newest and burgeoning sports. Competitive skipping events include speed and freestyle events for individuals, pairs and teams; speed; as well as the double dutch events, where two ropes are used. It is a sport that combines a number of skills, with strength and endurance needed for speed events, and flexibility and rhythm for freestyle events. Canberra’s own Jazzy Jumpers Skipping Club co-hosted the competition with Skipping Australia and brought 45 local competitors to the event.
Jazzy Jumpers is an Amaroo-based club and is led by two coaches, Nicole Brown and Lisa Buchanan—Nicole being a multiple former world skipping champion. Jazzy Jumpers competes regularly in state and national titles and has also sent teams to the Amateur Athletics Union, Junior Olympics USA, and world youth tournaments. They also perform at local events such as the Australia Day celebrations, school fetes, Heart Foundation events and Raiders games.
The competitors competed in a number of events over the weekend showcasing different skipping skills such as speed—how fast you can skip in a specified time; freestyle, where routines are choreographed to music; and double dutch, where two ropes are spun for both speed and freestyle events. All of these events are undertaken by individuals and teams of four or two.
By all accounts, it was a great weekend with well in excess of 1,500 spectators for the three days. The level of competition was high and the results were close with many age divisions having only a small percentage of a point differentiating between first and third places. The Canberra Jazzy Jumpers had a successful meet with some competitors taking out their overall age division and some individuals and teams qualifying for the world championships next year in Sweden.
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