Page 627 - Week 02 - Thursday, 18 February 2016
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to talk about the latest round of shopping centre upgrades and how this program will help improve our city and drive the local economy in our suburbs. The current local shopping centre upgrade program delivers on the Labor’s commitment to upgrade a number of shopping centres across the territory. The ACT government allocated $1.8 million over two years for the design and construction of the upgrades in the 2014-15 ACT budget and we are committed to improving access, safety, amenity and vitality at local shopping centres across Canberra.
The local shopping centre upgrade program has a number of key objectives which will directly benefit local communities. This includes improving safety at our local shops, making them more accessible for people with disability and generally making the environment and quality of the public spaces better. When these objectives are achieved at a local shopping centre, the attractiveness for the local community to buy local and support the micro economy of the suburban shopping centre increases. This is good for jobs, for community cohesion and for our quality of life. Subsequently the confidence from the private sector to invest in our local centres also increases, and with this the centres see increased activity which, in turn, improves the safety and community feel of these places.
Madam Speaker, each local shopping centre has its own character developed over a number of years by the local community and shopping centre operators. Our upgrade project managers work closely with this exciting character at each shopping centre and with the operators who have created it, ensuring that we reflect this in the designs for the upgrade works that are delivered.
As to the specific upgrades, I can inform the Assembly that the ACT government is investing $850,000 in Cook to: increase open space for gatherings as well as outdoor dining; provide better access to the bus stop and surrounding streets with new paths and ramps; reduce trip hazards; improve lighting along footpaths and the main car park; create an additional parking space for people with a disability, to comply with current standards; and install new public space furniture, a drinking fountain and upgraded landscaping.
At Rivett we are investing $360,000 to improve access from the bus stop to the shops with: the installation of new paths, ramp and stairs; upgrading paving and lighting; improving access from the aged care facility to the shopping centre; and installing new public space seating.
Finally, at the Kambah shopping centre on Mannheim Street we are investing $550,000 to: provide better access to the shopfronts and childcare centre, with a new path, ramp and stairs; improve the main car park entry and create a new parking space for people with a disability, complying with current standards; and ensure safety and amenity by installing new lighting, public space seating, landscaping, a drinking fountain and bicycle racks.
A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to see these upgrades in progress. There is a lot happening, and the local traders are excited by the progress. This is in addition to our upgrades over recent years at local shops in Griffith, Theodore, Chapman, Farrer, Red Hill, Charnwood, Waramanga, Scullin, Ainslie and Lyons.
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