Page 823 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 21 March 2017
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Stuart’s discoveries are remarkable, but what is especially remarkable is that Stuart’s role in these spider discoveries has been through volunteering. Citizen scientists like Stuart play a vital role in documenting new species, gathering and interpreting scientific data and educating the public around the ACT. The work of citizen scientists makes a significant contribution to the scientific knowledge base.
I have to express my utmost respect for citizen scientists, who, as volunteers, are fuelled only by their genuine passion for science. Their work can sometimes go unrewarded and unrecognised. I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank Stuart for his dedication and many contributions to Canberra’s scientific community.
Clean Up Australia Day
MR PETTERSSON (Yerrabi) (4.39): I was fortunate enough to participate in my local Clean Up Australia Day a few weeks ago and I wish to pay tribute to everyone who lent a hand, both locally in Crace, Gungahlin, and across Canberra. It is not every Sunday that I relish an early wake-up, but for this occasion a smile was managed.
I live in Crace; it is my home. I see firsthand, like everyone else, the rubbish that can fill our parks, the rubbish that can linger in our streets and the rubbish that makes its way into our water systems. It is frustrating and it is unacceptable.
From this mess, however, comes an opportunity, an opportunity for communities to show their spirit and show pride in their local area. And that is what I saw: the Crace community spirit in full bloom. I saw both young and old working hard, side by side, cleaning up our neighbourhood. I saw new faces and some familiar faces. I think the only common factor amongst us was a passion for Landcare and an enthusiasm for the scones to come.
I want to make special mention of Fleur, the organiser of the day and the organiser of Crace Landcare. Fleur, thank you for your service. I want to pay tribute to the Crace Community Association for helping to facilitate the day and for the work they do in making Crace such a wonderful community. I also want to thank each and every one of the volunteers that turned up on a sunny Sunday morning to make Crace a little bit cleaner. This was a fantastic day.
What followed was not fantastic, however. The following week, the Canberra Times published an article about the “Gungahlin-isation” of Forrest. This article made many incorrect assumptions about Gungahlin and it has caused immense hurt in our community.
I wish to correct the record on a few things. Gungahlin is a place people aspire to live in. Gungahlin is peaceful and quiet and, after Landcare’s efforts, it is even a bit cleaner than it normally is. Gungahlin has a thriving community, with a mix of housing options attracting a range of people to the area, from first home buyers and young families to retirees and dream home buyers. And, yes, that does mean different sized blocks. Gungahlin is a rapidly growing area, one of the fastest growing regions in Australia. It is a great place to live, and that is why people keep moving here.
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