Page 3754 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 28 October 2015
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
MADAM SPEAKER: Before I call the Minister for Territory and Municipal Services I point out that, as the member for Molonglo, he does not have ministerial responsibility; it is only in his capacity as the Minister for Territory and Municipal Services.
MR RATTENBURY: Sorry, Madam Speaker, I got distracted by your interjection. Could I hear the question again from Mr Doszpot?
MADAM SPEAKER: Sorry, it was not an interjection. I did not interject.
MR RATTENBURY: I did not mean you interjected. My apologies. Could I have the question again?
MADAM SPEAKER: Yes.
MR DOSZPOT: Minister, as you would be aware, the residents in Oaks Estate, which is in your electorate, have been agitating for a number of services and recently received a $20,000 grant for the construction of public toilets in Gillespie Park, Oaks Estate, under the federal government’s stronger communities program, which requires matching dollar-for-dollar or an in-kind commitment. Minister, will you provide the additional $20,000 for this community to be able to take up the grant awarded by the federal government?
MR RATTENBURY: Yes, I have had some contact with the Oaks Estate community over this matter and I can inform the Assembly that the Territory and Municipal Services Directorate did provide a letter of support for their application for the commonwealth grant. I have not yet been advised that that grant application was successful as we provided that supporting letter only late last week for a deadline late last week. So I am not sure if it has actually been a confirmed grant since I was last updated on this issue last Thursday but I can inform the Assembly that we have provided a letter of support.
Where the difficulty lies now is in resolving the cost of that public toilet in the sense that it is not clear that it can be provided for $40,000, as Mr Doszpot suggests. So I have asked my directorate to work with the Oaks Estate community to identify a range of options in terms of dealing with the price of that facility and what type of facility might be suitable for the location. We need to be mindful of things such as disability access and also making sure the facility is vandal-proofed to a reasonable extent.
Territory and Municipal Services is working with the Oaks Estate community, and I highlight the fact that I understand the park has become very popular and this is a result of a government investment in the last couple of years of over $300,000 to upgrade the park. The park has gone up in popularity quite a bit since that time, I am informed.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Doszpot.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video