Page 987 - Week 03 - Thursday, 10 March 2016
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The government provides almost $1 million to manage 501 playgrounds across the ACT. The government also has an ongoing commitment to reviewing and renewing barbecue facilities to improve the safety, quality and functional amenity of public picnic areas. There are currently 115 barbecue units in urban parks and 211 barbecues in campgrounds throughout Canberra. In addition, the 65 public toilet amenities in urban areas are cleaned daily, and TAMS coordinates a program of works that cleans 438 kilometres of cycle paths.
The ACT government is committed to providing opportunities for Canberrans to make healthy lifestyle choices. Through the healthy weight initiative, much effort has been directed towards encouraging the use of open space, including the construction of new fitness equipment at John Knight park in Belconnen and in Tuggeranong town park; and the commencement of construction of new fitness equipment adjacent to Yerrabi Pond and in Eddison Park in Phillip, due for completion later this year. The use of fitness equipment is supported by community engagement activities such as online video and demonstration classes to show people how to use these facilities.
Following the rollout of road safety, walking and cycling improvements, the first of the ACT’s active streets schools initiative was recently launched. Active streets builds on ACT Health’s ride or walk to school initiative. Madam Deputy Speaker, you may be aware that I was involved with that as a director of the Physical Activity Foundation. That program is designed to create a supportive environment around schools that is safer and more suitable for working and cycling. The active streets pilot is being trialled around four schools in my electorate, Macquarie, Macgregor, Latham and Mount Rogers primaries. The infrastructure measures rolled out in the four schools include dragon’s teeth, 30-kilometre per hour school zones, path and parking improvements and active streets icons on the paths to show how far and how long students have until they reach their school.
Providing infrastructure that helps our ageing population stay active and ensures that they can more easily move about the city is also a key priority for this government. The age-friendly suburbs initiative is helping to meet this objective. Consultation is currently underway in Kaleen and Monash to identify issues that impede active travel by older residents around these two suburbs. Kaleen and Monash have been selected for the second round of pilot suburbs in our age-friendly suburbs active travel project. These suburbs were chosen based on their demographic profile and follow Ainslie and Weston, which we consulted the community on in late 2015. The age-friendly suburbs initiative will address issues that may be impeding older people in moving around our city, such as footpaths being too narrow or cracks in the pavement. Lighting upgrades, places to rest, signage and shelter at popular bus stops are also being looked into to help improve livability in these suburbs for older people.
One of Canberra’s most valued assets is the urban forest. Canberra has the largest, in terms of sheer numbers, and the tallest urban forest in the country, with approximately 750,000 trees in urban open space and street verges. Last year, TAMS responded to more than 8,500 tree-related inquiries for pruning, replanting and tree removal. TAMS also removed approximately 1,500 trees and planted 2,230 new trees in streets and parks. Survey data from 2014-15 show that in recent years public satisfaction
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