Page 5096 - Week 14 - Tuesday, 28 November 2017
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Tuggeranong is a genuine meeting place. Along Anketell Street there is an expanding restaurant and cafe offering. It is most important in terms of developing the personality and the soul of Tuggeranong that we make it as attractive as we possibly can for people to enjoy it. That is why when Glenys Patulny from Tuggeranong Community Council approached me one busy winter’s morning in Anketell Street and asked if I could present this petition to the Assembly I did not hesitate. The Tuggeranong Community Council wants to reroute buses away from the town centre’s main street. Buses travel along that main city centre section of Anketell Street on their way to the interchange, but they do not actually stop on that main section of the street.
The petition calls for the buses to be rerouted along Cowlishaw Street before swinging around up to the interchange. Glenys from the Tuggeranong Community Council had this to say about the petition: one of the most significant issues identified in last year’s Tuggeranong liveability survey was the importance of revitalising the Tuggeranong town centre and that the single biggest negative impact on improving the amenity and revitalisation of the area is the use of Anketell Street by ACTION buses.
She went on to say that Anketell Street is directly in front of the hyperdome and houses many outdoor cafes where people want to sit, eat and talk and that this is very difficult to do comfortably when every few minutes buses travel along this street on the way to the Tuggeranong interchange. As a result, diners are expected to relax in a noisy environment which is not conducive to conversation or good health as they are subjected to bus and car emissions whilst undertaking their coffee and/or meals.
This petition is a fine example of why the petition process is so important. This is about a grassroots campaign getting all of its voices heard. I am sure there are a number of things for the government to examine before such a plan could be instituted, and I urge the government to listen to these voices from the valley. I urge them to fully examine this proposal and either move in this direction or explain why they are not.
I fear the government is already moving in another direction. I fear the government is not really serious at all about revitalising Tuggeranong town centre. It is going through the motions of what looks like an ill-conceived, sloppy, cut-price excuse for revitalisation so it can tick that box and say, “Yeah, we did that. And let’s face it, it’s only Tuggeranong. They vote Liberal anyway down there, so why would we worry about them?”
If the government is serious about making a much more comfortable and social environment in Tuggeranong, it would be giving serious consideration to this proposal. I applaud the Tuggeranong Community Council for showing some initiative in this space and engaging with the community in the way they have. It is my great privilege to present this petition to the Assembly.
Mount Taylor access—petitions 18-17 and 27-17
MR STEEL (Murrumbidgee) (11.36), by leave: I am very pleased to have sponsored the petition on behalf of Canberra residents who want to see traffic and other
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