Page 838 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 9 March 2016
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is generally at capacity, with retailers and other tenants occupying some of the spaces as well. Previously, we have instructed retailers to use other spaces, but we cannot enforce this. There are 40 shops in the group centre, and there are 84,000 pedestrians coming through the centre every week, on average.” How will that centre cope with an additional 55,000? It is not unreasonable for us to ask.
As far as Minister Rattenbury goes, good on him. I am really glad that he remembers that we have done a master plan in this place, that the government has undertaken that work. I thank Jeremy for his lobbying for that in the last term of government. As per usual, nothing gets done around here until there are a huge number of complaints from the members of the public about it. There is not any forward planning on these things. We wait until they get to be overwhelming and then act at the last minute. Nonetheless, the population remains unhappy and people have a right to know when this distress will end.
Minister Rattenbury quoted my statements about mums and public transport. I am really glad that there are some mums who can get around their business on the buses. Fantastic; good on them. But the vast majority of mums—and dads—are driving in completely different directions to drop kids off to school and then get to work. Then, as I have explained to Minister Rattenbury on many occasions—he makes himself look foolish—if your child is sick and you have to get to them, you are not going to wait for a once-an-hour bus to get to the other end of Canberra. I maintain my position that the tram is a farce and a waste of money that should be spent on other things that this city really needs.
Children will grow up to be ratepayers. My point in calling them that—as if I do not care about children; for crying out loud, I have five of them I dedicate my entire life to the raising of—is that even if the government do not give a stuff about families, they should be interested in their future income.
MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Mrs Jones, just be mindful of your language, please.
MRS JONES: Yes; thank you.
As I have mentioned, the needs of the Weston Creek community need to be taken into account. Pleasant surrounds, as the minister claims Weston Creek is designed to have, do not help a mum or an elderly person driving around and around the car park. I will let them know that your advice is that they should catch the bus. We will see how many of them think that is a reason to vote for the Labor Party in the next election. It really is a shame.
It will give the government no help in the upcoming election that the minister refuses to be transparent with ratepayers. Which other group centres are in the area? The minister referred to other group centres. There are not any other group centres. That is the whole point. When the new Molonglo reaches all the way past Coppins Crossing, you might find that some people drive to Jamison. But at the moment, the whole point is that the entire population of Molonglo Valley and the new Molonglo are coming to do their shopping in Weston Creek.
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