Page 845 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 21 March 2018
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But when we come here today and put a concrete proposal on the table, something that can actually bring their words to fruition, sadly, what I think is going to eventuate is a very long amendment from Ms Le Couteur that says very little in terms of actually delivering what needs to be delivered for the Waramanga community. I commend this proposal that comes from the community to the Assembly.
MS LE COUTEUR (Murrumbidgee) (3.42): I move:
Omit all words after “That this Assembly”, substitute:
“(1) notes that:
(a) playgrounds provide an important amenity for communities and families;
(b) investment in public infrastructure like playgrounds provides social and economic benefits to the wider community;
(c) playgrounds provide an accessible play environment for children to exercise both their bodies and their creativity, leading to tangible and provable developmental outcomes for children through dexterity, cognitive growth, and socialisation;
(d) research suggests that access to playspaces with installations to guide physicality can result in a 25% increase in children’s physical activity;
(e) playgrounds serve an important role for all community members, acting as a space of social connectivity and giving people tools to socialise naturally—a space for jogging, a regular meeting place for parents, or for holding events such as birthday parties; and
(f) the ACT Government maintains 507 playgrounds across Canberra, playgrounds are prioritised for upgrade utilising recommendations from annual audits along with current demographic, spatial and social information, and that this process ensures that safety standards are maintained and public investments are suitably targeted;
(2) congratulates the Waramanga community on preparing a comprehensive submission for their proposed playground and their dedication to local community activism;
(3) acknowledges how hard the Waramanga community has been working together to support this initiative, and how uplifting and inspiring to local residents this grassroots campaign has been;
(4) acknowledges that:
(a) Waramanga shops does not have a playground or kid-friendly playspace;
(b) Waramanga has four existing playgrounds and another four are located close by in the neighbouring suburbs of Stirling and Fisher;
(c) the Waramanga community has been running a campaign for two years to have a new playground built at the Waramanga shops in the lead-up to this year’s Waramanga and Weston Creek 50th anniversary on 4 June 2018;
(d) like many other Canberra suburbs built in the 1960s and 1970s, Waramanga’s local infrastructure, including playgrounds, is getting older;
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